Some Waitangi events cancelled in Tairāwhiti due to recovery work

Bad weather has played a part in which events will be held on Waitangi Day. Pictured is the river at the end of Bright St, Gisborne, running higher than usual after the recent storm. Photo / Anne-Marie de Bruin

Some events planned in Gisborne and around the district for Waitangi Day are not taking place while the focus is on recovery following severe weather.

In hard-hit Te Araroa, Manaaki Matakaoa, the area’s hauora Māori service, said many of its activities were on hold.

“Due to the recent weather events, all our planned events have been cancelled until further notice,” said Kauri Neilson, kaiwhakapāoho, Manaaki Matakaoa.

The cancelled events include:

• Weekly pakeke programmes (every Wednesday)
• Weekly tamariki programmes (every Thursday)
• Weekly rangatahi programmes (every Friday)

“Our Next Hauora Tinana Challenge was also planned to start in February. Our Waitangi Market has also been cancelled, which was coming up in February,” Neilson said.

For Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui a Kiwa, meanwhile, the focus was on recovery.

“We are currently not doing anything in regards to Waitangi. We are currently supporting the response work for the next couple of weeks,” said Athena Emmerson-Kapa, co-director for iwi and whānau ora manager.

Rongokaawhata Iwi Trust said that it focused on Waitangi events at another time of the year.

“We tend to focus on Te Tiriti during May, which is the anniversary of when it was signed locally by East Coast tupuna,” said Hineani Roberts, communications officer.

She said the iwi trust’s website could be visited to learn more its Treaty story.