April 12, 2018
New community hub for Ruatahuna
The isolated eastern Bay of Plenty settlement of Ruatahuna will be transformed tomorrow with the opening of a new community hub.
Te Tii has been built by the community with assistance from settlement organisation Tuhoe Te Uru Taumatua.
It incorporates using many of the living building concepts unveiled in Tuhoe’s tribal office in Taneatua such as on site waste water treatment, day-lighting, rain water collection and solar power.
It includes a general store, tribal office, cafe, gas station, motel, radio station, laundry, market place, playground, community garden and other outdoor spaces.
Tuhoe chair Tamati Kruger says it has already lifted spirits.
"It brings hope and it brings confidence not only to the Ruatahuna community but to Tuhoe people that we can do this and we should take responsibility for our growth and development and there is much more for us to do after this complex is opened," he says.
The next step will be building housing at Ruatahuna.
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