The funded marae were mostly in the Rotorua area and eastern Bay of Plenty - just a handful in the Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty areas received funding.
Ōtawhiwhi marae at Bowentown. Photo / File
These were Tahuwhakatiki marae (Rōmai) in Welcome Bay, Ōtawhiwhi marae at Bowentown, Te Awhe marae and Whakaue marae at Maketū, Makahae marae at Te Puke, and Mōtītī Island marae.
Tommy Kapai Wilson, the executive director of Te Tuinga Whānau Support Services in Tauranga, said this week many Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga marae committees didn't apply because of the process involved.
He said in the future, there needed to be more support "to walk those marae [committees] through the process of the funding application".
"I am happy for the successful marae but I'm sad for those who weren't."
Wilson said it cost about $30,000 a year to run a marae and "many struggle to come up with that ... then it costs about another $30,000 to insure the marae".
Te Tuinga Whānau Support Services executive director Tommy Kapai Wilson. Photo / File
NZME asked Provincial Growth Fund managers how the marae were chosen.
In response, a spokeswoman said marae were "invited to apply for funding as a result of the Provincial Growth Fund reset to respond to Covid-19, agreed by Cabinet in May 2020".
Fund representatives and Te Puni Kōkiri "worked together to communicate the programme" across eligible regions and the "programme was also advertised on the Grow Regions website".
Representatives for each marae could apply for up to $500,000 and all applications were assessed for "immediate job creation, visibility and shovel readiness".
"Although ministers made the final decisions on funding for individual marae these were based on recommendations by officials.
"The number of projects that were approved was driven by the number of applications we received from a particular region. The Bay of Plenty region had the largest number of applications and therefore the number of projects that were funded."
She would not identify the one marae in the Bay of Plenty which did not get funding.
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta said nationally, the marae funding would create 3100 jobs nationwide, as part of the Covid-19 economic recovery, and 648 of these would be in the Bay of Plenty.
The Government is currently signing contracts for the marae funding announced this month, and the money will be paid out to marae as invoices are presented.
Where the marae money is being spent:
• Bay of Plenty: $29.6m for 77 marae, estimated 648 jobs created. • Tairāwhiti/East Coast: $14.2m for 59 marae, estimated 394 jobs. • Waikato: $13.8m for 53 marae, estimated 363 jobs. • Hawke's Bay: $9.6m for 51 marae, estimated 263 jobs. • Tai Tokerau/Northland: $9.2m for 34 marae, estimated 388 jobs. • Taranaki: $7.4m for 23 marae, estimated 305 jobs. • Manawatū-Whanganui/Horowhenua: $7.1m for 33 marae, estimated 33 jobs. • Wairarapa/Kapiti: $3.2m for 10 marae, estimated 89 jobs. • Te Tau Ihu/Top of the South: $760,000 for 4 marae, estimated 38 jobs. • Southland: $719,000 for 2 marae, estimated 25 jobs. • West Coast: $250,000 for 2 marae, estimated 20 jobs. • Chatham Islands: $198,000 for 1 marae, estimated 6 jobs. • Canterbury: $160,000 for 2 marae, estimated 30 jobs.
