September 20, 2016
Weta magic to tell Taranaki Whanui story
Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust is working with Sir Peter Jackson and his Weta Group on a project for Matiu Somes Island.
The trust owns the island in Wellington Harbour, which is managed by the Department of Conservation.
Chair Neville Baker says the aim is to explain the island’s history and importance to Taranaki Whanui by using digital technology.
The project shows the trust’s relationship with Sir Peter is on the mend.
It was damaged seven years ago when the partner of former chair Sir Ngatata Love tried to extract a secret commission of $750,000 from the filmmaker over a proposed collaboration at the former defence base at Shelly Bay, where scenes for the King Kong remake had been shot.
Other projects flagged by Port Nicholson in its 2016 annual report include forming partnerships with other Taranaki iwi to buy and lease back properties to the crown, getting funding from Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori to develop Taranaki Whanui stories and history, and developing housing in Eastbourne and Petone.
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