Rangitāne: Papakāinga workshops prepare whānau for new housing

Hillcrest Dannevirke and Hillcrest Pahiatua school properties.

Last week we shared the plans for a new papakāinga development at Matamau, and housing sub-divisions at Hillcrest Dannevirke and Hillcrest Pahiatua school properties. The three former education properties were returned to Rangitāne as part of the Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua and Wairarapa Treaty Settlement in 2017. This week we have more details on how to register your interest and workshops to prepare whānau for their new home.

A new papakāinga development is planned for the Matamau School site.

Expressions of interest invited

One of the key challenges in the process of building this papakāinga is ensuring that the right mix of homes are built on each site, and the best way to get that right is to engage early with whānau who would like to live within these new communities.

Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā Trust are therefore inviting those who want to live in any of these developments to register their interest by emailing kainga@tmridevelopments.nz with the following information:

Name(s)

Phone number(s)

Email(s)

Iwi details (where appropriate)

Whether you are looking to buy or rent?

How many people are in your whānau/household?

Number of bedrooms required?

From there, one of the team will be in touch within the next fortnight to discuss options and connect whānau with training opportunities that will assist them in achieving their housing goals.

Papakāinga workshops and coaching starts May 28.

Housing subdivisions will go in at the Hillcrest Dannevirke and Hillcrest Pahiatua school properties.

As part of the housing efforts, we are prioritizing the support of whānau who wish to create papakāinga on their own land. This will begin with an information evening on Tuesday, May 28 at the Rangitāne Business Hub, High St, Dannevirke. If you are interested but can’t make it in person, the hui can be viewed with a zoom link. To register for the information evening email papakainga@tetahua.co.nz

The work is gaining momentum thanks to the support of a Te Puni Kokiri grant for a series of workshops and coaching sessions for whānau hoping to live in a papakāinga environment. The workshops will be free with the aim of supporting interested whānau to complete the feasibility studies required to secure funding. Some of the training will be kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) and some will be online. This will include several full day wānanga so whānau can see first-hand how these developments are evolving and ask questions.

The development concepts for the papakāinga are available to view online at www.tmridevelopments.nz. A series of public consultation hui will occur in early June 2024 where whānau can learn more about each development.

Part of this exercise will ensure that whānau clarify exactly what they need to live successfully on the papakāinga and then select the most appropriate home for them. It is expected that the majority will be relocatable homes.

This is an exciting development for our takiwā (region) and we encourage anyone curious about the ins and outs of papakāinga living to come and check out the information evening to see if it might be for you.

For all queries email papakainga@tetahua.co.nz or attend the information evening on May 28.