It was awaiting two funding applications, from Trust Waikato and Lottery Community Facilities, to be confirmed next month, he said.
“We are working really hard, meeting with a lot of different funders, we are hoping that by the end of the year we will have some funds secured,” Thompson said.
A meeting with iwi had been positive.
“Being able to be in the room with experience, we had some good advice around governance and funding”.
He confirmed a Ngāti Pū representative had been elected.
A staged approach to funding had been recommended.
“What we are doing is applying for funds for design, once we get to stage of concept design we can apply for capital funding.”
Thompson said there were huge celebrations when the trust heard the council had approved its application.
“After 50 years of trying, this is finally becoming a reality, our job is tempering that excitement.
“A huge amount of support and excitement, we have to journey with people through that process.”
The next step of supporting the establishment of a community marae and wellbeing hub over part of the land would be to approve commencing a process to have the Minister of Lands, by notice, declare the land to be set apart for other local work.
Once land had been publicly gazetted, leases may be entered into to establish the facility.
The Whangamatā Community Marae committee was first registered as an incorporated society in 1990.
The committee subsequently moved to a trust structure and was registered as a charitable trust in 2022.
Its mission statement is to establish a modern, state-of-the-art marae facility that will benefit the whole community of Whangamatā and surrounding areas, to administer a marae facility to provide for education, tangihanga, hui, wananga, arts and any other event or activity with a community purpose and benefit and to provide educational opportunities to the Whangamatā community on tikanga Māori and te reo Māori.
Our Council approved setting aside a portion of the Council-owned property at 101 Lindsay Road in Whangamatā so that it can be used for the site of a community marae and community hub.
The purpose of the report is to update the Council on steps required to progress the proposal for the
establishment of a Community Marae and Wellbeing Hub over part of the land at 101 Lindsay Road,
Whangamata (“the property”).
The report also requests Council to consider for approval, the SO Plan 604203 and the setting apart
portions of the property described in SO Plan 604203 (which has been approved as to survey by
LINZ) and commencing the process to have the Minister of Lands declare land to be set apart for
other local work under Section 52(4) of the Public Works Act 1981
The next step of supporting the establishment of a Community Marae and Wellbeing Hub over part
of the land would be to approve SO Plan 604203 and approve commencing a process to have the
Minister of Lands, by notice in the Gazette, declare the land to be set apart for other local work
Once land has been publicly gazetted, leases may be entered into to establish the Whangamata
Marae and Wellbeing Hub