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Massey Henderson local board member Will Flavell says it was an emotional moment yesterday when Auckland Council’s Parks, Sport and Recreation Committee agreed to clear the way for a marae to be established on Te Atatū Peninsula.
The marae project has been 40 years in the making.
The former Waitākere City Council set aside land in Harbourview-Orangihina Park in the early 2000s, but the project was held up by a 10-year legal battle with descendants of the land’s former owners.
Will Flavell says he felt not only the aspirations of those who fought for it but also those mokopuna of the future who will use it.
"This is going to be an exciting venture for the cultural aspirations of our Māori community, for non-Māori to be involved in things te ao Māori, supporting te reo classes, tikanga Māori, the abilty to hold tangihanga, so an emotional day for myself and my fellow board members but more importantly for our whānau in Te Atatū," he says.
The next step will be for the Te Atatū Marae Coalition Trust to work with council officers on the details of a long term lease of the site, which is designated a Māori reserve.
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