The new-look Awanui Park was officially opened at the weekend. Photo/Myjanne Jensen
The new-look Awanui Park was officially opened at the weekend. Photo/Myjanne Jensen
It was Awanui's turn this weekend to officially welcome the community to the opening of its newly upgraded playground.
The refurbished Awanui Park (located at Awanui Junction between State Highway 1 and 10) was delivered as part of the Te Hiku Open Spaces Revitalisation Project and officially opened on Saturday morning.
The upgrade is one of several community facilities to be upgraded and/or developed around Te Hiku in recent months, including Ahipara's Kororā Park and Pump Track, Kaitaia's Allen Bell Park and the Kaitaia Memorial Park Pump Track on Bank St.
Funding for the upgrade came from Kānoa (Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit), secured by former Minister for Regional Economic Development and Infrastructure and NZ First member Shane Jones.
The total cost for the upgrade was said to be around $220k and includes a flying fox, swings, an in-ground mini trampoline, a seesaw and other playground equipment, embellished in a shipping theme as a nod to the area's shipping port history.
The old toilets also received an upgrade with artwork from local artist Māori Erstich, with a new pump track scheduled to be built at the site in the coming months.
The weekend's event drew people from around the community, as well as Ngai Takoto mana whenua, the project working group and representatives from Awanui Progressive and Ratepayers Association, Far North District Council and the Te Hiku Community Board.
Te Rarawa kaumatua John Paitai was MC for the event, with the Reverend Fran Hokianga performing the park's blessing.
Councillor Foy said Awanui was a key Far North township and strategic gateway to Te Hiku o Te Ika.
L-R: John Paitai, Delwyn Shepherd, Ann Court, Shane Jones, Felicity Foy, Adele Gardner, Andrea Panther and Suzie Clarke. Photo/Andrea Panther
She said the project and investment in Awanui had given Cape Reinga visitors and tourists a reason to turn left at the Awanui Junction intersection, not just to Awanui but further afield to Kaitaia and Ahipara.
"We are a community that is extremely fortunate to have extensive stunning coastlines and can offer 20 beaches within 20 minutes," she said.
"Awanui is at the heart of those options, with Te Oneroa a Tohe (90-Mile Beach) to the North, Tokerau Beach to the East and Ahipara/Shipwreck Bay to the West.
"On behalf of the Far North District Council, I would like to give recognition to the people that made the Te Hiku o te Ika Masterplan project a reality and celebrate the transformation of Awanui."
Project manager and Kaitiaki for the Awanui area, Suzie Clarke, has lived in the small Far North township for around nine years and has been instrumental in the various projects planned for the area.
Clarke said she considered it "the centre of the universe" and was excited to deliver something so significant for the benefit of the community.
"Residents have been waiting for this upgrade for decades, so when the funding was announced it just all came together perfectly," Clarke said.
"This used to be a major trading port, so I wanted the park to be designed around that theme.
"We held a number of community hui (meetings) to gather feedback on what needed to be here. A huge thanks needs to go to Awanui Progressive and Ratepayers' Association for all their support."
Former 'Awanui boy' Shane Jones was joined by his mother, Ruth Jones - a former Awanui Primary School teacher - along with fellow Ngai Takoto kuia Aggie Smith and Myra Berghan.
Jones told of the history of the area and how Awanui had changed greatly from when he grew up there.
"This area in Awanui was a swamp, or what we call in the North a 'manga'- which is something larger than a drain, slightly smaller than a river," Jones said.
"The river was also in a different location. No town, no population remains stagnant -even sleepy little Awanui is dynamic.
"I want to thank those who helped with this project and who decided Awanui deserved better."
Three local tamariki - Alaris Steed, Leelie Cordel and Jamie Neal - were invited to cut the ribbon, together with the three Ngai Takoto kuia, before dozens of tamariki spilled onto the playground to enjoy the new facilities and take part in a lolly scramble.
L-R: Local Awanui tamariki, Alaris Steed and Leelie Cordel cut the ribbon with Ngai Takoto kuia Aggie Smith, Myra Berghan and Ruth Jones. Photo/ Myjanne Jensen
Far North takes out major awards
Days before the park opened on Saturday, FNDC was recognised with three major national awards, with the Te Hiku Revitalisation Open Spaces project taking out the top award at the 2022 LGFA Taituarā Local Government Excellence Awards.
Last week the council was announced as the 2022 LGFA Supreme Award winner for its collaboration on Te Hiku o te Ika Revitalisation Project with the Kaitaia Business Association, Te Hiku iwi, Te Hiku Community Board, and the wider community.
The awards are for programmes, projects and approaches that demonstrate professional excellence in local government management.
They are also open to any council, or council-controlled organisation (CCO), in New Zealand.
Te Hiku o te Ika Revitalisation Project won the Minister of Local Government's Award for Council/Community Relations.
Judges said the project was an example of how modern local government could act as a leader and broker of solutions that promoted community wellbeing and achieve tangible results.
"This pragmatic and focused wellbeing initiative is exactly the outcome Parliament had in mind when it restored wellbeing to the statutory purpose of local government."
Councillor Foy prepared a successful $7 million funding application to the Government's Provincial Growth Fund, and the Te Hiku Community Board provided financial support to the project.
A key goal was to boost community wellbeing by ensuring local businesses were included in delivering 81 projects for the district and that local skills and employment to help Te Hiku-based companies bid for future council contracts were increased.
Councillor Foy said an empowered team could deliver much more in less time, for less cost.
"Council staff, elected members, technical experts, iwi and hāpu, community members, and project managers were all part of the working group work," Foy said.
"We all get an equal say and an equal vote, and are there for the common purpose of positive community outcomes.
"That is why this project is a success. It is a distribution of power and responsibility to the community, and those on the ground delivering the project.
"In my view, this project portrays the true intent of local government because it is community-led and outcomes-focused."
Kaitaia Business Association chairwoman and working group project manager Andrea Panther said the awards, in her opinion, proved how allowing the community to lead their own projects was great for everyone.
"We lobbied as a community group to the council to project-manage the work, so it feels really good to show everyone that this was the best outcome for the community," Panther said.
"If we didn't do that, they would have decided to go with an external consultant who doesn't have the same connections and networks we all do as a community and it wouldn't have been the same."
