"I remembered the old days and what an awesome, vibrant place this was. We've been through a rough time, but how can you bring the good back? How can you attract the whanau home for a good occasion, not just for a tangi?"
Mr Barber took his ideas to kaumatua and kuia and the town's "big players" in marae, church and sport to get their backing.
The result was Motown Street Warz, a series of challenges in sports and kapa haka - Moerewa's traditional strengths - pitting "street against street, friend against friend, whanau against whanau".
The organisers divided the town into eight "street zones", naming each after a dominant street and assigning a colour for flags and uniforms.
Each street zone is responsible for its own fundraising and practice. Whichever wins the most points by the end of the weekend will be named Moerewa's best street.
Co-organiser Thelma Thorne said tournaments would be played in netball, touch rugby and softball, once-strong sports that were no longer played in Moerewa.
Streets would also compete in a Top Town-style challenge on Saturday and a kapa haka contest on Easter Sunday in "Super 10" format. That means each street picks its 10 best performers to compete in choral, action song, poi and haka.
Other attractions on the Sunday would include a mass waiata, a "living art" exhibition, chainsaw carving and a market.
People would be encouraged to bring in old photos for a "memory lane" display.
She expected 500 people, possibly as many as 1000, to come home for the event.
"It's bringing back the pride and happiness we had," she said.
Volunteer Meretini Wynyard said it would be a returning of the families who lived in Moerewa in the boom years of the 1960s and 70s.
"We had almost every bank in New Zealand then, a jewellery shop, two garages, a huge pub, a rollerskating rink - the whole she-bang."
A town anthem, Tihei Mauri Ora Moerewa, had been composed for the event.