December 10, 2019
Papakura Marae papakainga moving ahead
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Papakura Marae is close to securing the funding needed to develop a papakainga of six 2-bedroom kaumatua houses.
Chief executive Tony Kake says because the marae sits on a council-owned reserve, bank finance was not available, so the $2.7 million development is relying on pledges from philanthropic groups and Te Puni Kokiri.
Depending on whether the resource consents need to be publicly notified, the first kaumatua could move in by May or June next year.
“Council are assessing that at the moment. We’ve had a pre-application meeting with them and they did say it was one of the things they had to consider, whether it has to be publicly notified. The neighbours are far from these houses, it’s all reserve around us so I don’t think that’s going to be a big issue but it’s not my call, it’s up to the council to make that decision,” he says.
Mr Kake says the term kaumatua in not just about age but also refers to the role people play around a marae.
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