Fa’anānā – a champion for social justice and youth and a former politician – collapsed and died at a charity fundraiser in Auckland’s Britomart on February 21 last year.
Local Democracy Reporting spoke with Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board (OPLB) chairman Apulu Reece Autagavaia, who said, “Yesterday we had our workshop, and the local board gave a strong signal of our support for the mural.”
Although the final decision lies with Eke Panuku, Apulu clarified, “The actual mural is under Eke Panuku. So, the final decision lies with Eke Panuku. But the building itself is also Auckland Transport (AT). So it’s not under the local board’s decision-making, but they were asking for our support, and we gave it.”
Apulu said the idea originated months ago and gained momentum during the Christmas-New Year holidays, when Collins’ family expressed their hopes of completing the mural by the anniversary of his passing.
“I know that councillor Lotu Fuli is very supportive as well. And from the papers, I understand that our councillors are supportive as per the workshop yesterday,” Apulu said.
“We’ve told Eke Panuku to please relay that the local board is fully behind the mural.”
Despite the tight timeline, Apulu reassured, “I raised it with Eke Panuku, saying, ‘hey, can we ensure that the local board approval is sought as soon as possible without jeopardising the timeline?’ So, from the papers, our approval has now been given, and there is enough time for that to happen.”
Lisa Gooding, Eke Panuku senior communications and engagement adviser, provided an update on the project, which is expected to be completed by February 21 if approved by the Auckland Council governing body.
Gooding said the mural offered “an opportunity to really reflect the South Auckland community through a mural project”.
In the past year, Eke Panuku has explored options for installing the mural in the heart of Manukau City Centre. The community-driven project, led by local artists Fa’anānā supported early in their careers, will see the artists volunteer their time and skills.
“This initiative supports the Transform Manukau vision of creating a colourful, welcoming, and family-friendly centre that celebrates and reflects the diverse cultures of the local community,” Gooding said.
New Zealand mural artists Janine and Charles Williams, renowned for their work and originally from the local community, approached Eke Panuku with the idea of painting a portrait mural of Fa’anānā.
Gooding said, “The project has been a little bit complex in terms of trying to pull the whole thing together to have it delivered in time. But this is one of the options that we have available, where we’ve been able to negotiate with the artists to try and see whether we can actually fit it in. And it appears that we can.”
Work on the mural is set to begin on February 13 and it is expected to be completed by February 20, pending final approvals. The project has already received approval from AT, the asset owner of the mural site, which has reviewed and approved its installation. The proposed location is on the AT Ronwood Ave carpark wall facing Amersham Way.
Gooding said the location was chosen for its strong connection to Hayman Park and the pedestrian flow towards the town centre.
“The height of this particular wall also means it can make a more profound statement than a lower structure.”
Eke Panuku has been in contact with the Collins family, who expressed their heartfelt support for the mural. Mana whenua have also been consulted and support the project.
While the Manukau ward councillors support the mural, they have shared differing opinions about its merit and location.
Gooding said, “Engagement has occurred with a number of people, and all of this has taken place before coming to the local board to ensure that we had everyone’s support before we progressed further with the project.”
OPLB members were allowed to ask questions, and their support was unanimous.
Local board member Dr Ashraf Choudhary stressed the importance of securing governing body approval, saying, “The only concern I have is I want to make sure that council supports it as the whole body because we had similar issues before. We need to be clear it’s going to be done at the higher level before going ahead, [in case] all this work [is] done and then somebody knocks it down at the top.”
Dewes also raised concerns about the long-term maintenance and quality of the artwork to ensure its longevity.
Gooding said, “I don’t have an exact answer for you on that, though I do understand that discussions have been held with the artists about coming back to do touch-ups when required. As they are from the local community and it’s their idea, they’re very happy to provide that.”
The proposed mural design is a collaboration between the artists and the Collins family, it will feature a portrait of Fa’anānā along with his Samoan saying “E le tu fa’amauga se tagata” – Nobody stands alone. Nobody succeeds alone, and for me, nobody suffers alone.
The mural will also include the artist’s name and the phrase “Supported by Auckland Council”.
A follow-up workshop was held on February 5 to update the board on the project’s progress. Eke Panuku will continue collaborating with the Collins family, mural artists, AT and other stakeholders to ensure installation by February 21.
The board will remain informed and, once completed, the mural will be registered in the council’s public arts mural register.
Discussions with the Collins family, the board and the council will determine how to celebrate its unveiling.
