Minister for Maori Development and Associate Minister of Housing Hon Nanaia Mahuta today announced a $2.793 million investment to support a new papakainga in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty.

This investment will support Ranginui 12 Trust with infrastructure and construction costs to develop nine sites for housing on Maori land. The Trust is making their own considerable contribution of more than $2 million towards the project which totals $4.88m.

'This is a true example of Maori working in partnership with the Government to achieve housing aspirations to support thriving whanau,” says Nanaia.

'I commend Ranginui 12 Trust who are taking steps to ensure their whanau have access to safe and secure housing, despite the high purchase and rental prices in the region.”

Tauranga is ranked among the most expensive housing in the world when measured against income.

'This papakainga will provide further opportunities for whanau to re-connect with their whenua but more importantly to live in a kaupapa Maori community,” says Nanaia.

The development of this papakainga is expected to be complete in June 2020 and will provide added support to two local marae; nga pae tapu o Hairini and Maungatapu Marae.

'A strong and thriving cultural identity is essential to sustainable social and economic development within whanau and communities. Not only does it reconnect Maori with their ancestral whenua but provides a strong sense of ownership and self-determination,” says Nanaia.

Papakainga is a collective form of Maori living. Traditional papakainga consist of multiple dwellings centred around a marae or other place of significance. Residents are connected to each other and the land through common whakapapa.

Customarily found in a rural setting, papakainga has recently experienced a resurgence in NZ's towns and cities. These urban papakainga reflect Maori aspirations to realise traditional living arrangements in a 21^st century context.

Kua pānuitia e te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, te Minita Whare Āwhina hoki, a te Hōnore Nanaia Mahuta te pūtea $2.793 miriona hei tautoko i tētahi papakāinga hou ki Tauranga, Te Moananui a Toi.

Ka tautoko tēnei whakapaunga i te Ranginui 12 Trust mā te utu i ngā utu hanganga, hanga whare hoki ki te whakawhanake i ngā wāhi e iwa mō ngā whare i runga i te whenua Māori. Kei te whakapau hoki te Rūnanga i tā rātou ake pūtea, rua miriona tāra, ki te kaupapa, he $4.88 miriona tāra te katoa o te utu.

'He tauira tūturu tēnei o ngāi Māori e mahi ngātahi ana me te Kāwanatanga kia eke panuku ngā tūmanako whare hei tautoko i ngā whānau e momoho ake nei,” ki tā Minita Mahuta.

'Ka nui te mihi ki te Ranginui 12 Trust e whakapau kaha nei ki te āta whakarite e taea ai e ā rātou whānau te whai wāhi atu ki ngā whare haumaru, ahakoa te nui o te utu ki te hoko, ki te rīhi whare rānei i te rohe.

Huri noa te ao ko Tauranga tētahi o ngā wāhi nui te utu mō te whare ina whakaritea ki te whiwhinga pūtea o te hunga mahi.

'Mā tēnei papakāinga e whai wāhi ngā whānau ki te hono anō ki tō rātou whenua, ka mutu, te noho ki tētahi hapori kaupapa Māori,” te kī a Minita Mahuta.

Tōna tikanga ka oti te whakawhanaketanga o tēnei papakāinga hei te marama o Pipiri 2020, ā, e tautoko hoki i ngā marae tata e rua; ngā pae tapu o ngā marae o Hairini, o Maungatapu.

'He mea nui te tuakiri ā-ahurea ki te whakapūmautanga o te whanaketanga ā-pāpori, ā-ōhanga hoki i roto i ngā whānau me ngā hapori. Ehara i te mea kei te hono anō noa iho i a ngāi Māori ki ō rātou whenua tūpuna, engari, kei te whakahoki anō hoki i te rangatiratanga, otirā, te tino rangatiratanga ki a rātou,” te kōrero a Nanaia Mahuta.