Latest news with #Pūkaha
RNZ News
04-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Pūkaha Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre doors stay open after multi-million-dollar deal
Photo: Supplied/ Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre The cavalry has arrived for a beleaguered wildlife sanctuary on the brink of closure. Pūkaha Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre, on the border of Tararua and Masterton districts, replaced its entire board last month after issuing an urgent plea for financial help . The new board has now confirmed the doors will stay open after a multi-million-dollar deal was reached with iwi and creditors. Chair Shane McManaway said the board had worked tirelessly to save one of the country's most "important conservation centres and sanctuaries for endangered wildlife", but it was not "out of the woods completely". At the heart of the deal was an agreement with Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā Trust to buy Pūkaha's Whare Wānanga complex and take over a $1 million loan from Tararua District Council to the centre. Trust chair Sonya Rimene said Pūkaha was a taonga (treasure) that held a significant place in the iwi's history. She said the prospect of its closure had been devastating and the final deal was a "win-win" that would "strengthen our connection to our whenua, taonga, and allow Pūkaha Mt Bruce to pay its creditors and reset its working capital position". She said there was a still work to do to convert the heads of agreement into a sale and purchase for the Whare Wānanga. "There's been a lot of sweat, tears and many hui ... to get to this point. "It was hard, but we were really clear that whatever decisions we make had to be a what we call a 'mokopuna decision' and we think we've got that." Tararua mayor Tracey Collis said it was a huge relief that Pūkaha had been saved. She the deal was slightly bittersweet for ratepayers - given the council had agreed to forego $146,000 interest in the loan transfer to Rangitāne - but said the centre was important for conservation and tourism in the area. Also coming to Pūkaha's aid, was Central Energy Trust with a $1 million grant, and a $200,000 long-term loan from Masterton District Council. McManaway said the board was hugely grateful for all the support. He said the next six months would be a challenge as the board and Rangitāne finalised their deal and a new operating model to ensure the centre's viability was established. Department of Conservation acting director Angus Hulme-Moir said he was thrilled that the sanctuary's important conservation work would continue and was "looking forward to an ongoing and strong relationship with Pūkaha and Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā". Meanwhile, an engineering firm who hadn't been paid by the wildlife sanctuary for months, was hopeful it would see the $244,000 it was owed. The stoush over the unpaid invoice had seen Brent Reid, co-director of local Masterton firm BK Engineering, strip the doors off the aviaries he had been contracted to build. Speaking to RNZ this week, Reid said there was no money in the bank yet, but a lot of promises. "I think we will get paid, but I'm not celebrating until I see our bank account go up."
RNZ News
13-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Pūkaha Wildlife Centre replaces board during financial woes
Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, Wairarapa. Photo: Supplied/ Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre Pūkaha Wildlife Centre has replaced its board effective immediately, and says it's been "heartened" by the response to recent fundraising efforts. The not-for-profit wildlife centre, which borders the Tararua and Wairarapa districts and acts as a breeding sanctuary for native birds, put out an urgent plea for financial help last week. Shane McManaway, who was brought in alongside former chairperson Bob Francis to overhaul the organisation, has been named incoming board chairperson. McManaway acknowledged the efforts of the previous board members who "worked tirelessly to build a precious taonga for Rangitāne Iwi, wildlife centre staff and the local community for the benefit of future generations". But he said it was clear the current operating model, which included only part-funding of conservation work by the Department of Conservation with the rest from community funding, was no longer sustainable. "The new board is tasked with ensuring a sound and stable future for Pūkaha," McManaway said. "Our focus is transitioning the organisation onto a stable financial footing." It was a difficult time for staff, stakeholders and communities as the centre worked through the next steps and urgently raised capital to avoid closing. "We are heartened by the recent community fundraising effort, support from individuals, private and public organisations. The centre was still in discussions with potential investors and the Department of Conservation, he said. "Discussions to date are positive and we are hopeful that we can find a long-term sustainable solution." McManaway will be joined on the board by deputy chairperson Bob Francis, Sean Stafford, Brian Ashton, Nick Rogers and Jenna Snelgrove, along with a representative from Rangitāne and another from DOC. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
02-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Engineering firm strips doors off Pūkaha aviary after $245,000 bill unpaid for months
BK Engineering was contracted to build the shore plover aviary at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre. Photo: Supplied / BK Engineering An aviary at a wildlife sanctuary in financial strife has had its doors stripped in a stoush over an unpaid bill for almost a quarter of a million dollars. Pūkaha Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre on the border of Tararua and Wairarapa districts has issued an urgent plea for financial help , without which it faced imminent closure. At the heart of the plea was an invoice for an under-construction aviary for the endangered shore plover bird. Board co-chair Mavis Mullins said the breeding sanctuary needed to find $600,000 by the end of the week to avoid shutting its doors, after it was unable to secure funding from major partners the Department of Conservation and Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā . Brent Reid, co-director of local Masterton firm BK Engineering, hoped some of that money would be going to him and an outstanding invoice for more than $245,000. He said Pūkaha commissioned the firm in May 2024, to "construct, repair and refurbish" shore plover aviaries. Everything was smooth sailing, he said, until the payments stopped in November. Assurances that payment was imminent kept the construction work going "in good faith" until February this year, he said, but to date no further payments had been made. In a letter sent on 29 May to the Pūkaha board seen by RNZ, he said the company had taken out loans to keep afloat. "We are in serious financial difficulties because of Pūkaha. We don't deserve this." Reid said at the end of last week he cleared the worksite and took the doors off the aviary. "We loaded all the gear in our vehicles ... and we also removed as many doors as we could off the aviary so that it can't be used. "We're beyond caring about what anyone thinks and just need our gear back." The endangered shore plover bird. Photo: Supplied / Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre/ Tara Swan Ultimately, Reid said he wanted to receive the money that was owed and finish the job, and thought the Department of Conservation (DoC) needed to step in. "The government spends money on all sorts of wacky things, but this is something that you can go and see. "You can touch it, you can feel it, you can see the aviary, you can see it built. It's not good money after bad, it's a real thing, and it will save these birds." DoC's operations director for the lower North Island, Alice Heather said the department was aware of Pūkaha's financial difficulties. "We have been working with the Pūkaha board, alongside Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā, since we were made aware of the situation, and continue to explore options." She said Pūkaha was an independent charitable trust that for many years had delivered great conservation work. "DoC has not contracted work on the aviaries at Pūkaha. Any queries relating to non-payment of bills or contracts between contractors and Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre should be directed to the Pūkaha Mount Bruce Board." Pūkaha board co-chair Mavis Mullins said Pūkaha staff and BK Engineering were the top priority for the immediate $600,000 fundraising effort. "Our priority is our staff and those creditors because they are people that are known to us. We are working so hard and they are the priority." She said for several months the board had been working with potential investors. But last week, it "received new information" that left them with "no choice" but to engage Grant Thornton financial advisors. "We've also been in discussion with the Department of Conservation about the payment of outstanding invoices for shore plover aviaries, a nearly completed construction project urgently needed to continue the national programme of protection of this endangered species," she said. Mullins denied any suggestion of financial mismanagement and said while negotiations were ongoing to secure funding, every effort was being made to raise capital elsewhere. She said the community had supported Pūkaha since it was established in 1962 to breed and release endangered native birds, with the takahē - a Fiordland bird once thought extinct - its first species. "But the current operating model, which includes only part funding of conservation work by the Department of Conservation, with the rest from community funding, is no longer sustainable." It had been humbled, she said, by the global response to its plea for financial help. "Vistors, ex-kaimahi that have worked with us, this weekend the centre has been chocka with whānau coming, wanting to pay full rate rather than their half rate that they're entitled to, making donations ... It's been very, very humbling the response from the community." She said the board and management had been communicating to lenders, creditors and staff about the potential closure of Pūkaha, and acknowledged the stress and hurt they were feeling. She said former board chair Bob Francis and local businessman Shane McManaway had been brought in to oversee a complete overhaul of the organisation. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
