Bay of Plenty residents will become the proud owners of 25 hectares of historic pa sites and future park land next year.
Regional Councillors unanimously approved the purchase of 25 hectares of farmland adjacent to the existing Papamoa Hills Regional Park, at an extraordinary Council meeting last week.
Tender negotiations were completed this week and the purchase settlement is scheduled for February 10, 2017.
'Papamoa Hills Regional Park is currently closed due to the Fulton Hogan logging operation around land leased for the car park. But when it re-opens next year, we'll have an even bigger Park for people to enjoy,” says Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chairman Doug Leeder.
Doug says the purchase decision was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect the cultural and landscape heritage values of the land, and secure open space that will meet the needs of an increasingly developed city and region.
'It also secures the Park's public road access and gives us more options for developing visitor facilities in the future,” says Doug.
Nga Potiki representative Matire Duncan wrote to the regional council to advocate for the purchase on behalf of the Papamoa Hills Tangata Whenua Advisory Committee.
She says Te Rae o Papamoa (the Papamoa Hills ridgeline) is an ancestral landmark and an outstanding cultural landscape that's been occupied by many different Iwi over the centuries – Waitaha, Ngati Ranginui, Ngai te Rangihouhiri, Ngati Pukenga, Nga Potiki and Ngati He.
'It's one of the most outstanding examples of pā and settlement complexes in the Pacific. The purchased land contains two important pā complexes (Maraeroa and Kaingapakura).
'Expanding the Park to include those pa sites protects a pataka (storehouse) of information about the early inhabitants of Te Moana a Toi (Bay of Plenty). It honours the whakapapa and cultural connections of Te Rae o Papamoa.”
Land management officer Courtney Bell says the logging operation currently taking place in Papamoa Hills Regional Park is progressing well and the regional council is still expecting to be able to re-open the park later this summer.
Park re-opening updates will be posted to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's website at: www.boprc.govt.nz/papamoahills
7 comments
mystified
Posted on 28-12-2016 21:44 | By dumbkof2
looks like another ongoing payment.
Always buying stuff with others money
Posted on 29-12-2016 09:01 | By ROCCO
So what was the price paid why do we need it and it is now clear who the main advocates were and they never provide any money only yak yak.
here we go again
Posted on 29-12-2016 10:54 | By old trucker
I can just imagine these people taking their SQUEAKY WHEEL to COUNCIL to get GREASE,and THEY DID,my GOSH,when will it END,did COUNCIL get APPROVAL from RATEPAYERS first,DONT think so TIM. no saying how much this cost, all the treaty money should BUY THIS,My Tuppence worth No1 Thankyou.
Share the Purchase Cost
Posted on 05-01-2017 17:31 | By carpedeum
Its to be hoped that the six groups(as listed) who have inhabited this area oveer time contribute to this purchase
One Way Street!
Posted on 08-01-2017 16:34 | By Mackka
As long as the government and local councils continue to roll over whenever Maori want something they will continue to demand. Why don't the powers that be develop a spine and learn to say NO - enough is enough!! No wonder the majority of new Zealanders have had a bellyful and that that PC word 'racism' is alive and growing! It is all a one way street at the moment - 'them' and 'us' and 'they' are leaps ahead!
carpedeum
Posted on 10-01-2017 10:47 | By Crash test dummies
Yeah right ... TUI ADVERT!
Present owner?
Posted on 11-01-2017 13:57 | By Mackka
I wonder who owns the land now? Some other Maori outfit? It would be nice if this was not the case - but so often it is!
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