April 05, 2024
Tōwai nohowhenua a wānanga for hapori
Green MP Hūhana Lyndon says a nohowhenua at the site of a former school in Tōwai is a teaching moment.
Whānau from Ngāti Hau occupied the 2 hectare site on Saturday because they believe it should have been land banked for settlement when the school closed in 2005, rather than be sold to a private buyer.
Ms Lyndon, who is from Ngāti Hau, says community members are coming to the site to share their memories.
“It’s a really good wairua there and the community certainly has turned out. Many, many visitors have come to site and it’s a place of wānanga over the camp fire. It’s positive in terms of reconnection but also an opportunity for whānau to visit, to show support, to put on a kettle and share a cup of tea,” she says.
Ms Lyndon says the vendor has paused the current sales process, and she hopes the crown’s treaty negotiation agency Te Arawhiti can come in and make an offer.