Murupara's journey back from brink caught on film

Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake O Tawhiuau being filmed for Murupara Dreaming which will screen on Maori Television next Monday evening. Photo / Supplied

An upcoming documentary about Eastern Bay town Murupara will feature how its people are finding ways to create a better future.

Murupara Dreaming will screen on Maori Television on Monday and looks at the highs and lows the small township has been through.

Murupara had grown alongside the Kaingaroa forest and, by the 1970s, it was a thriving timber town of more than 3000 people. But the introduction of the market economy and restructuring of the forest industry led to widespread unemployment and difficult living conditions.

As the reforms took hold, the population began to decline and those who remained had to deal with the impact of increased poverty.

Today, 1600 people live in the area, 90 per cent of them are Maori, mostly from local iwi Ngati Manawa.

It is being billed as a story of hope in the face of adversity. The town of Murupara was brought to its knees by the economic reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, but its people are battling back.

The documentary starts with kaumatua Maurice Toe Toe, kura principal Pem Bird, retired forestry manager Kingi Porima and local businessman and retired farmer Paul Fell describing what life was like in the boom times. Archive material illustrates their stories of the growth of the town.

Community Action Youth and Drugs co-ordinator Memorie Jenner recalls coming to the town just before the boom ended and watching the decline unfold before her eyes.

Dr Bernard Conlon talks about the health impacts of the decline before Mandy Bird ends part one on a note of optimism as she describes the strong spirit that now exists in the town.

Part two is set at the Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake O Tawhiuau where Te Waimatao Murphy and Mr Bird describe the background to the establishment of the kura as a special character kura with Ngati Manawa identity as its founding principle. Teachers Lisa and Lianne Bird talk about some of the educational objectives of the kura.

The documentary-makers also talk to Rua Te Pairi (parent of children at the kura) who provides pigs and gardens for the kura and to Ned Howden and John Herbert, who take students like Ritchie Horne into the bush to learn how to hunt and fish.

Part three is based around the new area school, that was created to replace the old primary school and college. Principal Mandy Bird talks about the importance of Ngati Manawatanga to the school and its students before new entrant teacher Tuihana Jack-Ainsley talks about dreaming as the focus for her class and the whanau involvement in the school that is essential to what they do.

Parent Tori Te Kaawa also talks about her hopes for her daughter and the tough upbringing she endured.

PE teacher Tyler Runga talks about how he wants to inspire students to do their best and one of his proteges, Paora Whatuira, talks about how Tyler has turned his life around.

- Murupara Dreaming will screen on Maori Television at 9.30pm on Monday, June 22.