New Aongatete RSE accommodation Turanga Whetu blessed

Turanga Whetu is now ready for seasonal workers.

On the heels of a super moon blue moon, a “star base” has opened for RSE employees in Aongatete.

Seeka’s new RSE accommodation Turanga Whetu - which will house up to 140 workers - was formally opened and blessed early this month.

Turanga Whetu translates to “star base”, as the location provides a view of the Southern Cross at night.

RSE workers entertained visitors at the new facility.

Representatives from Ngāi Tamawhariua, Ngāi Tukairangi, Ngāi Te Rangi and Seeka gathered for the opening along with guests including Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer, National Party MP Sam Uffindell, and candidates Tom Rutherford of National and Pare Taikato of Labour.

Seeka’s kaumātua Turi Ngatai led the opening with George Burt. Each room in the facility was blessed and the accommodation was formally provided with its name, Turanga Whetu.

Turi linked the facility to the proverb “tokanganui a noho” which refers to “home sweet home”, linking local iwi, Seeka and Seeka’s RSE employees together as one community.

The grand opening concluded with performances by Samoan RSE workers and local iwi representatives.

Invited guests tour the buildings.

“We are very proud of the building that we have built here”, says Seeka chief executive officer Michael Franks. “But if you think about it, it is only a building, it’s just bits of wood and tin really, what is important to us is that it is symbolic of the relationships we want to have and the strong relationships we are building with local mana tangata whenua and our RSE employees.”

Seeka first became involved with the RSE pilot scheme in 2007, which went on to become the RSE programme in 2009. Seeka currently supplements its local workforce with RSE employees from Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Fiji and Malaysia.