Rotorua will have a new tool for firearm safety in a joint venture between the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council, police and iwi.
Whakatupato, which means take care, is aimed at providing comprehensive firearms safety training for people in rural areas, particularly Maori. The programme was launched at Tamatekapua Marae in
Ohinemutu yesterday.
New Zealand Mountain Safety Council chief executive Darryl Carpenter said the Whakatupato programme was designed to give rural communities the opportunity to host firearms safety training.
He said statistics had shown only 25 per cent of rural Maori in Rotorua had received any formal firearms training and the programme would provide a process for rural people to acquire firearms safety knowledge and licences.
He said pilot programmes have been running around Te Urewera, the East Coast and Northland and the success of the pilot programmes meant he was confident it would work in Rotorua as well.
He said the programme was typically offered in rural communities at venues such as marae and community halls.
"Whakatupato adopts the Mountain Safety Council's model of using local, qualified volunteer instructors to deliver firearms safety to their own community," Mr Carpenter said.
Other dignitaries at the launch included Police Commissioner Peter Marshall, deputy Police Commissioner Viv Rickard and several local police and kaumatua.
"We want this to be driven by local people who want to see things change," Mr Marshall said.
For more information visit www.mountainsafety.org.nz.
