A young Te Arawa leader has put $500 of his own money on the line in the hope he can have a treasured patu stolen from the Rotorua Lakes Council returned.
Elected member of Te Tatau o Te Arawa Board and one of the board's two members on the council's Operations and Monitoring Committee, Potaua Biasiny-Tule, made the offer on Facebook and is fully prepared to pay the reward in cash to the person who returns the patu, no questions asked.
The patu paraoa (club) was made by master carver Lewis Gardiner and gifted to the council in honour of its new relationship with Te Tatau o Te Arawa Board by Te Arawa hapu Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao and Ngati Tamateatutahi-Kawiti, and also in honour of the late Mauriora Kingi.
It was found to be missing after the final council meeting of the year on December 15.
Mr Biasiny-Tule said the theft was a complete mystery but there were many theories about who took the patu.