One of Taranaki's most historic and important sites, Owae Marae at Waitara, is entering a new era with some help from NPDC's marae funding.
A $55,000 grant from the Marae Development Fund has helped put a new roof over Owae's main meeting house, Te Ikaroa-a-Māui, which houses a collection of hand-carved wooden taonga that are about 90 years old.
The funding follows an $80,000 grant from the fund last year to help pay for the design and planning of a new wharekai kitchen and dining hall to replace the ageing wharekai Ko Tamawahine which first opened in 1921.
Owae, the central marae for Te Atiawa iwi, is managed by the Manukorihi Pā Reserve Trust charity and trustee Anaru White says it plays a valuable role as a social and cultural hub in the Waitara community and beyond.
"We rely on whānau support and sometimes you just need that boost from funding. It was a great help to us to keep things moving. Owae Marae is vital to the health and wellbeing of our community as a place for gathering and learning. It hosts events of local and national significance and it's also a Civil Defence post."
