Thousands of Ngati Kahungunu whanau came from all over the country to be a part of this year's 10th annual AGM Pa Sports. The day saw 1500 Kahungunu descendants representing their marae as they battled it out in touch, volleyball, netball and everything in between, including an old favourite, tug of war.
But this year whanau got to put their singing skills to the test, with the Kahungunu Inter Marae Karaoke Duo competition. A first for the AGM, an event that was a huge hit with many giving it a go, representing the 20 marae in the region. But the fun didn't end there, with about 4000 people cooling off with a dip at Splash Planet.
Innovation Hub
The planned Kahungunu Innovation Hub for Hastings is still on the horizon. Though the project has been stalled due to the almost $21 million cost to bring the 100-year-old Hastings Opera House up to standard. The upgrades have put a major spanner in the works for the multi-million dollar Innovation Hub, a joint project between the iwi and Hastings District Council. However, iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana is part of an independent working group set up to develop future options for the hub. There are plans to release a public consultation next year including what the financial contribution of the iwi will be to the project.
