One thousand Aucklanders turned out in the sunshine on Saturday 14 November 2015 for the official opening of the much-anticipated Onehunga foreshore project.
Five Auckland iwi advising the Onehunga foreshore project gifted the name Taumanu – meaning reclamation – for the new 6.8ha foreshore reserve.
The $30m development between SH20 and Manukau Harbour features new beaches, green spaces, connecting paths and a bridge – providing Aucklanders with their first significant access to the Onehunga seashore since the 1970s.
The adjacent lagoon at Onehunga Bay Reserve is also newly named Te Tauranga, reflecting the place where waka would originally have landed.
Mana Whenua Kaitiaki Working Group, comprising representatives from five iwi connected with the area (Ngati Te Akitai, Ngati Te Ata, Ngati Tamaoho, Ngati Whatua and Te Kawerau o Maki), led the dawn blessing and presented the new names.
Taumanu was then officially declared open by the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board, Mayor Len Brown and NZ Government representatives, before water-based activities kept the crowd entertained.
