Source: Radio New Zealand
From left, Dany Haira, Mere Kerehi and Suni Brown outside Te Manawaroa o Kuki Rimene. RNZ/Pokere Paewai
Wairarapa iwi Rangitāne are putting the final touches on it’s new papakāinga development in the centre of Masterton, with tenants expected to move in within the month.
On Friday, there was an early morning karakia at the site of the papakāinga Te Manawaroa o Kuki Rimene, named after the late Edward Cooke Rimene, known to many as Kuki, a respected kaumātua in the region.
The development has 10 two-bedroom units across three buildings, with each building taking the name of local landmarks – Hīona, Kaitekateka and Māiriiri-Kapua.
The units are designed as affordable rentals at 20 percent below market value and, perhaps uniquely for a regional city like Masterton, one of the buildings – Māiriiri-Kapua – is a two-storey building, with three units on each floor.
Mere Kerehi is one of the new tenants who will move in within the next month. Her connection with Rangitāne and ‘Uncle Kuki’ was very special, she said.
“I’ve always worked with Uncle Kuki, right back in the, you know, early 1970s at the marae,” she said, “We’ve been trustees together for our marae and I’ve shared that journey with Uncle Kuki for all these years.
“Everything that happens in the community and the journey’s here, so I can see it [as] a nice end to a story, a neverending story mind you.”
Mere said being close to whānau was special about the papakāinga, a place where she knew everyone and where everyone helped each other.
“It’s like being on our marae, you know,” she said. “How good is that?
“It connects us to our marae, Te Oreore, Rangitāne, Kahungunu.”
Daughter Dany Haira said Mere would move out of the family home of 63 years to take up a spot at the papakāinga.
“It’s just a little bit much for mum,” Haira said. “She won’t let any of us come and move in with her, [but] I think a three-bedroom whare with a quarter-acre section and a creek is a little bit much for mum now.
“She’s 86 and this opportunity came up, so it was like, ‘Wow, mum, let’s see how we go’.”
Haira said the move would improve her mother’s quality of life – a smaller, more manageable whare, but one where she wouldn’t be alone and would have whānau for neighbours.
Suni Brown works at the Rūnanga of Rangitāne o Wairarapa, but also contributed his carpentry skills to build one of the whare.
There’s always been a big call for more housing from all people of Wairarapa and, with homeownership out of the reach of some locals, Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā trust was in a position to put a project of this kind together, with funding support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
The development was never aimed at any single group and there are a good mix of tenants, including a few rangatahi who would move in, he said.
“Kaumātua of our iwi have definitely had preference,” he said. “Secondly, goes to our people who are registered with Rangitāne and the applications have been steady.
“Talking with our whanaunga now, all our units are full, just a couple of bits and pieces left to do.”
As soon as the karakia was over, there were already a few calls asking about the next papakāinga, he said.
“This will definitely add to the growing number of Māori – not just in our iwi, but across the board – that are moving to Masterton.
“Masterton’s a beautiful place. It’s easy to get to, it’s quiet.
“Our coasts are just, you know, 40 minutes from some of the best fishing around.”
The blessing of the papakāinga happened on the same day and in parallel with another important event for Rangitāne o Wairarapa – the opening of the Tino Rangitānetanga Iwi Exhibition at Masterton’s Aratoi Museum.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand