Yesterday the Rotorua Daily Post reported six Ngati Whakaue marae are set to receive a one-off cash injection of $100,000 after a trust that looks after its Treaty of Waitangi assets, Te Kotahitanga o Ngati Whakaue Assets Trust, made millions from a shrewd investment. Head of News Kelly Makiha chats
Cash boost helps enhance key marae
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Te Papaiouru Marae chairman Colin Bennett is excited about a planned upgrade of Te Arawa's paramount marae, which has just been given a funding boost. Photo / Stephen Parker
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Ngati Whakaue are the kaitiaki of the marae on behalf of Te Arawa. The tupuna whare being the eponymous ancestor Tamatekapua who captained the Te Arawa waka that brought our forebears here to Aotearoa over 300 years ago. This kaitiaki responsibility we take very seriously and requires a marae that is kept in pristine condition.
An added challenge in terms of building and equipment is the geothermal activity which speeds up the deterioration of just about everything.
So 30 years ago our parents' generation put a whole lot of effort into establishing a fantastic facility for Ngati Whakaue, Te Arawa, and the Rotorua community in general. And now 30 years on we need to do a major upgrade.
So there is an inter-generational cycle occurring here. It's our turn. A key difference being 30 years ago we had a whole lot of available labour and expertise in the tribe to get the job done. Now everyone is so busy in our fast moving world that we don't have the human resources as readily available.
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But luckily for us we have entities like the Ngati Whakaue Asset Trust to provide economic support to get the job done.
Will the funding boost cover everything you want to achieve?
No. However, it will get us significantly along the path we need to follow in terms of our upgrade.
Why is it expensive to run a marae, particularly Te Papaiouru?
The geothermal activity is a major reason, but also the size. Te Papaiouru is an iwi marae at the end of the day. It is positioned to be the place for Te Arawa to put their mana on the line and present well to the world. So over the decades we have hosted many large pohiri for many overseas dignitaries.
Also, it is the place where people both Te Arawa and on occasion pakeha, who have climbed to the heights of service for the tribe and the community will lay in state.
Related to this is the high standards that we require as kaitiaki. So put that altogether and you get a marae that costs around $100,000 a year to run just on operational expenditure including ongoing repairs and maintenance.
How did you and the marae committee react when you found out about the $100,000 boost?
We were pleasantly surprised. However, it is after all our money, so my initial thoughts were, what a good and responsible way to use the money. Well done to the Assets Trust trustees!
Why do you think the Assets Trust has been so successful with managing and growing the funds?
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Good leadership, a functional team and more than adequate expertise.
What are your final thoughts?
The Ngati Whakaue Asset Trust is a 'mid-settlement' entity that has found a really good balance between growing its asset base and making distributions that benefit the beneficiaries. Their decision to significantly invest in our Ngati Whakaue marae has been effective, as is their decision to invest in Ngati Whakaue culture and identity through the Whakanuia. So I'm looking forward with great anticipation to see what they come up with next. Kia kaha ra koutou kia mahi tonu i te mahi pai!
