Minister opens papakāinga near Tauranga
Maori DevelopmentMāori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell will open six new flats at Tahuwhakatiki Marae, in Mount Maunganui today.
Mr Flavell is full of praise for the Ngā Pōtiki a Tamapahore iwi and the Pirihima Whānau Trust.
“This papapkāinga project is visionary. The tribe is building a living community around the marae and it has made an economic, social and cultural investment in its future,” he says.
The formal blessing of the flats marks the first stage of the Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapāhore Housing strategy, which aims to increase the availability of affordable and quality housing in the area.
“The sacred connection of the people to this ancestral land is evident. It confirms, the importance of passing the Ture Whenua Māori Bill, which will make it easier for tāngata whenua to use their collectively-owned Māori land,” says Mr Flavell.