Locals to guard falls charm

Orange paint was waterblasted off rocks at the entry to Whangarei Falls Reserve within an hour of the launch of a Tikipunga community "ambassadors and guardians" initiative to keep the reserve safe and welcoming during the Rugby World Cup tournament.

The TikiPride group, kaumatua and kuia from Pehiawiri Marae, Ngati Hau Health & Social Services, Tikipunga Community Action Group, and Ngati Hau Wahine Roopu have joined forces to keep a constant presence at the park from this week until October 16. In the past cars at the reserve have been notoriously vulnerable to thefts and, people have died jumping or falling from the top of the falls.

A campaign to enrol volunteers for the project was launched with a powhiri and "bring a plate" picnic this week.

Representatives of the groups involved are already at the reserve every day to welcome visitors, provide tourism information and enrol volunteers for rostering over the next few weeks. Training will begin mid-September.

Tikipunga CommunitySafe volunteer co-ordinator Kristi Henare, who is also a RWB volunteer, said the training was mostly about "a common-sense and welcoming approach".

Kaumatua Harry Clark of the nearby Pehiawiri Marae, conducted the powhiri. He said the marae fully supported the initiative and it would be available for volunteers to use as a place to rest and have refreshments between shifts at the falls.

"This is something that should be done by the community for a special place like this," he said. Apart from ensuring the security of tourist vehicles the volunteers would have a valuable role in reinforcing the need to observe the safety signs at the top of the falls - "I have too often had to say prayers at the bottom of falls when people have died," he said.

The initiative is along the same lines as the Whangarei District Council's volunteer-run, Summer Safe carpark programme at the district's prime tourist spots through last summer, funded by the Ministry of Justice.

The WDC is supporting the Community Ambassadors programme at the falls (the council's D'Tag team got rid of the orange paint) and its community services manager Owen Thomas said enabling communities to run such programmes was a great way of encouraging a sense of place and community pride. "They are choosing to lead by example."