Reward offered for stolen patu: 'Money loosens lips' (+video)

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.

"The money would come out of my pocket, but I've had a lot of whanau prepared to make a koha (donation).

"It's a horrible situation to be in, the finger has even been pointed at our own people and there's a lot of talk about what's happened.

"Right now there are a lot of unhappy people, our kaumatua are really sad and that's just not right.

"If I can help get it back, it's the least I can do, I just hope this may help," he said.

Te Tatau o Te Arawa Board chairman Te Taru White said it was part of an impassioned plea made by the iwi and community for the return of the patu "and Potaua has exercised his individual passion and I applaud him for it".

"Good on him, it's his solution and I support him.

"We are also trying to work on the conscience of people to try and get that back, and Potaua has taken the next step. We are still hopeful.

"Money does loosen a few lips, if it takes money to bring something back that is arguably priceless, that's fine, it works sometimes," Mr White said.

A council communications spokeswoman said there had been no new developments in the search for the missing patu.

Council staff have been keeping an eye on online trading sites such as Trade Me and E-Bay and had asked local businesses to inform the council if anyone tried to sell it locally.

If anyone knows the whereabouts of the patu, they can call the council's kaitiaki Maori director Monty Morrison on (07) 351 8348, confidentially if necessary, or call Rotorua police.