Sculpture on State Highway 51 between Napier and Awatoto recognises 1824 battle of Te Pakake Pā

The finishing touch has been put to State Highway 51′s safety improvements between Napier and Awatoto with the unveiling of a sculpture recognising the history of the area.

Sculptor Tamanuhiri Russell and Ngāti Pārau chairman Chad Tareha at the unveiling of Te Pou Tūhonohono - The Pillar of Connections beside State Highway 51 beteen Napier and Awatoto on Saturday.

Te Pou Tūhonohono - The Pillar of Connections was unveiled at a blessing beside the highway roundabout at Awatoto Rd on Saturday.

The central pillar rises from the ground and is flanked by three fins, sculptor Tamanuhiri Russell saying it symbolises the connections and partnerships that bind people together through time, space, and spirit, and it serves as a physical and spiritual marker, representing the intricate web of relationships that exist between the land, people, and communities.

Ngāti Pārau chairman Chad Tareha, who is also a Napier city councillor, was at the blessing and says the site holds immense cultural significance to the Ngāti Pārau Hapū as it was the gathering place and site of refuge for all hapū of Heretaunga and Ahuriri following the 1824 Battle of Te Pakake Pā - the most devastating battle the region had ever seen.

The unveiling of the sculpture also marked the completion of the State Highway 51 safety improvements, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi principal project manager Jacob Laird saying the partnership between NZTA, the sculptor and Ngāti Pārau was an important part of the project’s success, given the site’s history and significance.

The NZTA had said SH51 between Napier and Hastings had claimed 15 lives since 2019, leading to the decision to make the route safer by implementing a new roundabout, flexible median barrier, side barrier, wider centrelines and a crossing facility from Te Awa Ave to the shared user path on the waterfront.

In late 2021 the maximum speed limit on the route was dropped from 100km/h to 80km/h, with 50km/h through Clive and from 70km/h to 60km/h at Waipatu.