Tipene Heperi-Smith (right) leads Wednesday morning's whakawātea ahead of the building of 10 new residences at Kahukura, between Maraenui and Meeanee. Photo / Doug Laing
Tipene Heperi-Smith (right) leads Wednesday morning's whakawātea ahead of the building of 10 new residences at Kahukura, between Maraenui and Meeanee. Photo / Doug Laing
A 10-bed village established on the outskirts of Napier 14 years ago for supervised residents with mental health issues and drug addiction is being expanded with new facilities expected to be in use next year.
Whatever It Takes Trust this week signed contracts for the extension of Riverbend Rd projectKahukura, between Maraenui and Meeanee, and work starts “tomorrow”, trust deputy chair John Sproat told a gathering of about 20, who traipsed the site in a morning blessing in the rain on Wednesday.
Chief executive Sam Aberahama said 10 units will be built on land next to where the existing units were opened in 2011, with more land available to consider future options.
They will enable residents to transition to more independent living, he said.
Before the first flats were built, offering 24-hour supervision, the project attracted opposition from some of the nearby community, fearing issues of safety and anti-social behaviour.
But by the time it opened, WIT management of the time said the types of concerns were “outdated” and most of the worries had been allayed through communication.
Aberahama said: “A number of clients have passed through Kahukura with successful outcomes on their journey to independence.”
“There have been challenges, for our clients and kaimahi, but we work through them as families do,” he said. “We treat all clients as whānau.”
Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter based in Napier with more than 40 years’ experience covering local community and social issues in the region.
