A $45,000 boost will lead vital repairs and project management at Ngāti Ōtara Marae, a cornerstone of the South Auckland community.
Auckland Council’s Planning, Environment and Parks Committee has allocated 2024/2025 Cultural Initiatives Funding to seven marae development projects, including three first-time recipients.
The fund provides annual contestable grants for marae and Māori housing projects in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Manukau Ward Councillor Lotu Fuli says marae are such important cultural hubs for our communities here in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
“The Ngāti Ōtara Marae has long been a significant urban marae bringing people of all cultures and ethnicities together. More recently we have seen an increase in innovative initiatives focusing on Youth, Te Reo, Whaikorero, Waiata and building community connections with other ethnic groups,” says Fuli.
“That is why I am so happy to be sitting at the decision-making table to give the Ngāti Ōtara Marae the extra resources needed to really empower them. I am confident the $45,000.00 will go a long way to help the Marae develop further.”
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.
Ōtara-Papatoetoe local board chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia shares, “This is a great first step in helping our local marae. But this advocacy didn't start yesterday. Our matawaka have been requesting attention for decades. The marae buildings sit on an old dump site, creating cracks in the foundation, and issues of methane gas release for any new buildings. That's why the new safer site needs to be done sooner rather than later.”
Ngāti Ōtara Marae kaumatua Chris Pomare, is thrilled that the funding will be used to help find a more suitable space as well as upgrade materials.
“Ngāti Ōtara Marae holds a deep historical significance for Ōtara and beyond, and it’s a place that resonates with so many of us. As Apulu mentioned, this incredible marae is built on an old dump site dating back to 1950, which makes it a bit unstable for future developments. The funding is a vital step toward revitalising this space and adapting it for the future. We have an incredibly talented team that’s absolutely stoked for what’s to come,” says Pomare.
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,” says Wilcox.
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 |
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