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Maori Trustee Jamie Tuuta says Wellington's first urban papakainga is a chance for the city's mana whenua to put their footprint back on the landscape.
The new Maori Trustee, Te Tumu Paeroa, is overseeing the development of 13 two-storey, three-bedroom apartments on a Maori-owned block at Evans Bay.
The land was swapped in 2005 for a property in the Owhiro Valley owned by the hapu which originally occupied Te Aro Pa near today's Courtney Place.
Mr Tuuta says descendants will get first option to rent the units.
"We'll always have people who will say 'oh well, you are only building thirteen and there are a thousand owners in this block,' but I am a strong believer that 13 is better than none, and it is an opportunity for them to stamp their mark back on the landscape and through that development there will be pou, there will be interpretations speaking of the history of these owners and the iwi and so on. So it is a fantastic opportunity," he says.
Jamie Tuuta says the development will substantially improve the returns to the Trust and will set an example for developing urban Maori land.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE TUUTA CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjMwNzI=
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