Creating pipeline of work

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Toitu Tairawhiti chairs are delighted with yesterday's marae improvement announcement.

The Provincial Growth Fund money is a major capital injection for 59 Tairawhiti marae and the Saint Mary's Church in Tikitiki.

Sixty of the 66 Tairawhiti marae agreed to take part in Ma Wai Ra E Taurima — the Toitu Tairawhiti collective's marae improvement, training and employment initiative.

While funding for 59 marae and Saint Mary's Church has been approved, they are still awaiting confirmation for one more marae.

Toitu Tairawhiti recognises the impacts of Covid-19 have been felt by every household in Tairawhiti.

Ma Wai Ra E Taurima is a systematic programme designed to build the capacity of local trainees/apprentices so they are equipped for future work opportunities.

“The value-add for us is that the PGF marae improvement funding provides direct capital investment to our marae to complete much-needed repairs, maintenance and general improvements to our marae,” Ngati Porou chair Selwyn Parata said.

Local tradespeople will also benefit as they will have a pipeline of work for the next 12 months that will contribute to region-wide business continuity and confidence.

Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust (RIT) chair Moera Brown said: “We will be talking to contractors about taking on apprentices from our marae trainee cluster while working with local agencies to secure the necessary training programmes, qualifications, and pastoral care support.”

Te Aitanga a Mahaki chair Pene Brown said: “Toitu Tairawhiti iwi, Ngati Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga a Mahaki and Ngai Tamanuhiri will seek to utilise this pool of trainees and the tradespeople to work on housing, infrastructure and other initiatives iwi are already working on in their own right or as a collective.”

Tamanuhiri Tutu Poroporo Trust chair Paulina Hill said: “Although the application process has been challenging, with some of our marae almost ready to pull the plug on their application, we collectively kept the faith and now we look forward to seeing the transformation of our marae and our people.”

Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust general manager Amohaere Houkamau, who convened the Ma Wai Ra E Taurima working group comprising representatives from the four Toitu iwi, said: “The confirmation that our marae applications had been approved, with most receiving the funding they had applied for and nine of them receiving the maximum of $500,000, made all the hoop-jumping and delays palatable.”

However, she stressed the real work was only just beginning.