Marae are a critical cultural connection hub not only for mana whenua and mataawaka, but also increasingly for wider communities throughout our region – which is why Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau has approved more than half a million dollars toward marae development projects.
The support and guidance provided by marae and their tight-knit networks throughout the Covid pandemic and in the 2023 weather events often made the difference for communities’ resilience and their ability to find ways to thrive in the face of adversity.
With this in mind, Auckland Council has an increasing focus to ensure that marae infrastructure, capability and support systems across the isthmus are robust, efficient and resilient. The council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee has recently allocated funding from its 2024/2025 Cultural Initiatives Fund to seven specific marae development projects (see below), of which three marae are first-time recipients.
Councillor Richard Hills, chair of the committee, says that the funds approved on 25 July for grants in this financial year reflect a continued commitment in the Auckland Plan and Long-term Plan to ensure marae are self-sustaining and prosperous.
“Safe, healthy and warm marae, and papakāinga housing are two of the 10 mana outcomes identified by Māori as key priorities in Kia Ora Tāmaki Makaurau, our Māori Outcomes Performance Framework.”
“The grants approved will support mana whenua and mataawaka marae to manage the costs associated with their growth and connections into their communities. These projects range from technical feasibility and design planning for Otakanini Haranui Marae in the Kaipara, to supporting Ngāti Ōtara Marae in South Auckland with remedial repairs and project management costs.”
The Cultural Initiatives Fund allocates limited pūtea/funding each year in the form of contestable grants for capital costs that support marae and papakāinga / Māori housing in Tāmaki Makaurau. This sits alongside and complements our Marae Infrastructure Programme, which allocates non-contestable grants to more significant infrastructure projects, drawing from the Māori Outcomes Fund specified in the council’s Long-Term Plan 2024-2034.
A total of 20 marae across the region have been allocated Cultural Initiatives Funding over the past 10 years, including Ngāti Wai o Aotea Kawa Marae Trust on Aotea / Great Barrier Island who were supported last year to become more self-sufficient by installing solar panels and a new hot water system. Thanks to the fund, Rereteewhioi Marae in Waiuku was also supported in 2023, and a new wharenui building is now under construction.
Houkura / Independent Māori Statutory Board member Glenn Wilcox emphasises the value of the Cultural Initiatives Fund for our communities.
“It’s great to see Auckland Council addressing a previously forgotten group of buildings and institutions that are particularly Aotearoa New Zealand and unique to our landscapes and communities. Marae are not just buildings – they’re about people and our relationships with those people.”
As part of the council’s ongoing focus on improvement, a review of the Cultural Initiatives Fund, the Marae Infrastructure Programme and the overall Māori Outcomes Fund is planned for later this year to ensure that all mahi in this area is aligned and delivering for mana whenua, mataawaka and all of Tāmaki Makaurau.
2024/2025 Cultural Initiatives Fund grants approved:
|
CIF Marae Development |
|
|
Te Herenga Waka o Orewa |
$33,000 |
|
Kaipātiki Community Facilities Trust – He Oranga Wairua Marae |
$170,000 |
|
Ruapōtaka Marae |
$170,000 |
|
Otakanini Haranui Marae |
$70,000 |
|
Omaha Marae |
$20,000 |
|
Ngāti Ōtara Marae |
$45,000 |
|
Te Hana Community Development Charitable Trust |
$80,000 |
|
Total amount: |
$588,000 |
