A Central Hawke's Bay iwi dream dawns

A fine day for a fine celebration of the building of three new homes near Te Hauke in Central Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor

At least four MPs and one mayor helped celebrate the realisation of a Central Hawke's Bay iwi dream to build family homes and start a new community on its land at Te Hauke.

Associate Minister of Housing Peeni Henare and Minister for Maori Development Willie Jackson were both at the celebration on Friday, marking the building of three of the eight houses planned for the papakainga up a new and winding sealed road off State Highway 2 between Hastings and Waipawa,

Hawke's Bay MPs Meka Whaitiri (Ikaroa Rawhiti) and Anna Lorck (Tukituki), and Mayor of Hastings Sandra Hazlehurst were also present for the celebration of what had been once just a dream for leading protagonist Zack Makoare.

It's rooted in the days of working at the Takapau freezing works, and then redundancy and the realisation of the need for a more stable future for whanau.

Out of it has risen Te Puke Aute, a 2.8 hectares development where site work started in early 2020, following a pathway through the Māori Land Court to a collective initiative with Te Ahu Whenua Land Trust, partly funded by Te Puni Kōkiri (TPK).

Makaore's goal was to return to how ancestors lived in their time – following the examples of manaakitanga and working as one, eating as one and learning as one, ultimately for the good of whanau and growing tamariki and rangatahi – the ultimate epitome of the adage "it takes a village to raise a child".

The concept includes its own whare oranga, to focus on health and wellbeing.

Later, in Hastings, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Board chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana welcomed Henare and Jackson to Kahungunu to progress discussions about the provision of housing in Kahungunu rohe under Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga, a Government commitment of $730 million over four years to accelerate Māori-led housing solutions.

The visit included a tour of the iwi enterprise K3 Housing project taking place in Heretaunga and Te Whanganui a Orotu (Hastings and Napier).