June 25, 2015
Waiwhetu Marae reclaims ancestral land
More than 70 years after it was taken, land taken from beside Waiwhetu Marae has come back to the iwi.
The marae has paid the Hutt City Council $190,000 for the 1785 sqm section in Atiawa Cres, after protracted negotiations about its ownership.
It was part of 106 acres taken by the Crown under the Public Works Act for public housing and then used for defence puirposes, including housing US troops in World War II.
It became a council reserve in 1964.
Marae chair Kura Moeahu says the land has strong ancestral links to the marae and to his own whanau.
He says possible uses include community gardens or housing.
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