Iwi-built home for whānau of 10 officially opened in Tairāwhiti

K3 is a kaupapa being driven by the iwi of Ngāti Kahungunu. Photo / Supplied

By Kelvin McDonald of Maori Television

A newly built home for whānau Māori was opened in Te Karaka near Gisborne on Saturday by Māori housing minister Peeni Henare and Toitū Tairāwhiti, which comprises six iwi groups that stretch across the region.

The home for a whānau of 10 was the fourth of 25 homes to be delivered in Tairāwhiti.

"Today we take time to celebrate this milestone and get more whānau into affordable housing," Henare said in a statement, adding that it was "fantastic" to see another iwi-led newbuild home opened to a deserving whānau.

"The opening of this home sees us delivering on the promises we made in Maihi Ka Ora, the promise we made to work in partnership with Māori, and the commitment to delivering a better Māori Housing future for our whānau."

On Friday, Henare and Māori development minister Willie Jackson were in Ngāti Kahungunu to progress discussions around the iwi's K3 housing initiative.

"K3 is a kaupapa being driven by the iwi of Ngāti Kahungunu that will see a significant number of houses built for the people of Ngāti Kahungunu. Part of this kaupapa is a project that will see a large number of homes built in Maraenui for whānau," Henare wrote in a social media update on Saturday.

Ngāti Kahungunu K3 is a kaupapa being driven by the iwi of Ngāti Kahungunu that will see a significant number of houses...

Posted by Peeni Henare on Friday, April 8, 2022

"Super excited to continue supporting this kaupapa and seeing it continue to grow. Thank you to the leadership of the board and in particular (board chair) Ngahiwi Tomoana who has been pushing this kaupapa for many years now."

In a statement on Friday, Tomoana said, "Ngāti Kahungunu iwi construction company K3 Kahungunu Property is not just about building homes but also focuses on pioneering customised training programmes to upskill and grow whānau through apprenticeships and supports Māori ownership by creating business opportunities."