New housing development new Edgecumbe

Many people were displaced from their homes following the April floods in Edgecumbe. Photo: Elaine Fisher.

A new papakainga housing development will be used to help house people who lost their homes in the Edgecumbe floods in April.

The development being built at Kokohinau Marae, 5km south of Edgecumbe, will eventually be used for affordable housing for kaumatua, but Ngati Awa iwi have elected to initially use it to house whanau impacted by floods.

'This is manaakitanga at its best, we saw it during the floods when Kokohinau Marae in Te Teko and Rautahi Marae in Kawerau came to the aid of whanau who needed food and shelter after the devastating flood.” says Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell.

A total of five two-bedroom homes are to be built and infrastructure support for 41 housing sites including power and water supply, sewerage and roading will be provided for at Kokohinau Marae.

'I want to commend the start of the construction of the Pahipoto Maori Committee papakainga development in Edgecumbe,” says Building and Construction Minister Nick Smith.

'They have been quick to bring forward plans to respond to immediate whānau needs within their rohe.”

Construction will begin immediately with support from the Whakatane District Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to expedite all planning consents as an emergency housing response.

Te Puni Kokiri and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment will split the contribution of more than $2.6 million towards the housing development.

'The Kokohinau Marae papakainga project is a great example of what can be achieved when parties come together to collaborate,” says Te Ururoa.

'The partnerships and networks forged between Pahipoto Maori Committee, government agencies and local authorities underpin the success of this development.”

In addition, Te Puni Kokiri supported the Pahipoto Maori Committee $73,600 towards the feasibility stage for providing emergency housing initially in response to the Edgecumbe floods and whanau being displaced from their homes.

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3 comments

Edgecombe Maori Housing

Posted on 17-07-2017 14:00 | By PaulM

Are New Zealand taxpayers paying for these Maori houses for Maori only to live in ?


@PaulM

Posted on 17-07-2017 15:51 | By Colleen Spiro

Goodness me.....Maori can open their doors to others who are homeless, and people like you, make comments like this......as a pakeha taxpayer....I am happy to contribute to any home, as a consquence of a natural disaster, regardless of colour or creed....grow some compassion.


Looks to me like

Posted on 17-07-2017 20:07 | By waiknot

Maori have pulled finger, housed the homeless on the marae imeadiatly. Now very quickly looking for a permanent solution. They do not deserve criticism for this effort.


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