People may be new focus for New Plymouth's marae fund

Renovating Mahi Tamariki - a rare raupō whare protected within a more modern shell - was first priority in the Urenui Pā development. Photo / Supplied

Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter

New Plymouth's fund to assist marae may shift focus towards developing people, rather than only buildings.

Each year New Plymouth District Council allocates $200,000 to its Marae Development Fund, with just over half of that used to insure the district's marae.

Criteria for the rest of the spending focus on physical buildings and facilities, similar to funding available for community halls.

The fund is due for review next year and the council's kaitakawaenga (iwi liaison lead) Aroha Chamberlain told the iwi liaison committee Te Huinga Taumatua of a growing call for non-physical development.

Chamberlain said the existing focus on buildings was understandable "but we're getting more whānau to talk to us about increasing capacity and capability of the people within the marae".

Her report said marae would not exist without the people that belong to and use them.

"The social and cultural features of marae and its use for the revitalisation of te reo and tikanga and the transmission of mātauranga are not recognised through the grant criteria."

The marae fund paid to re-roof Te Ikaroa a Māui and has now covered inflation-escalated costs as a new wharekai is built at Manukorihi Pā. Photo / Supplied

A newly established grant – Whanake – has a wider focus and is available to community groups providing activities, programmes or services that help meet the aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi.

Chamberlain said Whanake would probably meet some of the demand, but council officers would also consider building human capacity when reviewing the Marae Development Fund in 2023.

Te Huinga Taumatua recommended accepting applications to the 2022-23 fund from Urenui and Owae marae.

Urenui Pā trustees have a multi-year plan to renovate and extend existing whare and then build a new, larger wharenui by 2025.

Longer-term plans for the Pā include building papakāinga housing.

Needing $150,000 to complete the first phase of the Urenui Pā development, the trustees applied for $50,000 from the council fund – their first application for 20 years.

Manukorihi Pā (Owae marae) is also in the middle of a major redevelopment including the building of a new wharekai, and Te Huinga Taumatua recommended the granting of $83,600 to meet inflation-escalated project costs to complete the build.

In previous years Manukorihi has received a further $80,000 from the fund – mostly to restore the roof of the wharenui Te Ikaroa a Māui.

A surplus of $40,000 from the 2021-22 year meant both applications could be fully granted.