Latest news with #WaihōpaiRūnaka
Otago Daily Times
19-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Housing a ‘nesting place' for kaumatua
Waihōpai Rūnaka Kaiwhakahaere (chairman) Cyril Gilroy is looking forward to moving into his unit overlooking Murihiku Marae this year. PHOTO: NINA TAPU A southland man is counting down the months until he can live beside his ancestors. Waihōpai Rūnaka kaiwhakahaere (chairman) Cyril Gilroy has spent more than two decades dreaming about living near his tūpuna (ancestors) — now he is just months away from that dream coming true. Waihōpai Rūnaka and Te Runanga ō Ngāi Tahu helped realise Mr Gilroy's dream, at the opening of kaumātua papakāika (housing for the elderly) at Murihiku Marae last Thursday. A ceremony was held at the site, where eight new units have been built. Mr Gilroy said the building of the housing units had been a blessing. "Now I can stand on the hill and have a look at the marae. . . and see my own tūpuna," he said. "The significance is that the aroha we have for our people is to give our kaumātua a house to live." The units are part of the second stage in establishing onsite elderly housing and the realisation of a vision the local rūnaka has been working towards for more than 20 years. Waihōpai Rūnaka deputy chairman Joe Wakefield said the housing would allow the elderly to return to how Māori used to live. "It's getting back to the way. . . our people used to live together, in our papakainga villages," Mr Wakefield said. "It's like a kohanga, a nesting place for our kaumātua. "Down here . . .our kaumātua. . . are reinvesting back into our whānau and our community with their knowledge and experiences — and passing it on to the next generation." The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga) and Te Runanga ō Ngāi Tahu funded the building of the units. Bragg Building and Design constructed the papakāika units. Mr Gilroy is looking forward to being able to congregate with the other tenants and get back to communal living. "It [will be] a place where all us elders all together, can manaaki (help) each other, tautoko (support) each other and grow the kai. "It's our pā," he said.
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum Set For June
Press Release – Southland Regional Development Agency Great South General Manager Regional Strategy, Bobbi Brown, said the forum was a valuable opportunity for the region to collaborate and think differently about how housing can meet Southlands current and future needs. Great South, in partnership with Waihōpai Rūnaka and Southland's councils, will host the Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum on 12 June 2025 at Murihiku Marae. The event is entitled 'Thinking Differently Together' and will bring together a wide range of stakeholders – including developers, planners, businesses, iwi and community leaders – to explore practical, innovative solutions to the region's housing challenges and opportunities. Great South General Manager Regional Strategy, Bobbi Brown, said the forum was a valuable opportunity for the region to collaborate and think differently about how housing can meet Southland's current and future needs. 'Southland has always been known for its can-do attitude and its ability to find practical solutions,' she said. 'This is not just a talkfest – this is about action, learning from others and making progress together.' The forum will focus on three key themes: broadening housing options beyond the traditional quarter acre dream, aligning spatial planning and regulation to enable housing growth, and recognising housing as a critical economic enabler for Southland. During the forum, Waihōpai Rūnaka will also unveil new papakāika (housing) at Murihiku Marae. Waihōpai Rūnaka Kaiwhakahaere Cyril Gilroy said the opening of eight new papakāika and kaumātua whare (houses), which have been purpose-built for whānau, would be a proud moment. 'This is an exciting milestone for Waihōpai, as we support our kaumātua with warm, solar-powered housing on the marae grounds. We look forward to having our kaumātua close by, ensuring they receive the support they need, while our wider whānau benefits from their invaluable mātauranga (knowledge) and skills.' Brown said housing played a critical role in supporting Murihiku Southland's regional development goals. It is one of our key enablers and supports population growth, business recruitment and community wellbeing. 'We want to highlight the great work already underway, share ideas and approaches from other parts of New Zealand and beyond, and foster new partnerships that can help us deliver the diverse housing options Southlanders need,' she said. The forum will feature case studies from local and national projects, expert presentations on regulatory and spatial planning changes, and will include the launch of the new Build Southland housing website. The event is free to attend, and all those interested in housing, development and Southland's future are encouraged to register via Great South's website. Event details: Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum Southland Regional Development Agency 143 Spey Street, PO Box 1306, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand Phone +64 3 211 1400 Email info@ Date: Thursday 12 June 2025 Time: 9.00am till 5.00pm Location: Murihiku Marae, Invercargill To register for the forum please complete the following form:
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum Set For June
Press Release – Southland Regional Development Agency Great South General Manager Regional Strategy, Bobbi Brown, said the forum was a valuable opportunity for the region to collaborate and think differently about how housing can meet Southlands current and future needs. Great South, in partnership with Waihōpai Rūnaka and Southland's councils, will host the Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum on 12 June 2025 at Murihiku Marae. The event is entitled 'Thinking Differently Together' and will bring together a wide range of stakeholders – including developers, planners, businesses, iwi and community leaders – to explore practical, innovative solutions to the region's housing challenges and opportunities. Great South General Manager Regional Strategy, Bobbi Brown, said the forum was a valuable opportunity for the region to collaborate and think differently about how housing can meet Southland's current and future needs. 'Southland has always been known for its can-do attitude and its ability to find practical solutions,' she said. 'This is not just a talkfest – this is about action, learning from others and making progress together.' The forum will focus on three key themes: broadening housing options beyond the traditional quarter acre dream, aligning spatial planning and regulation to enable housing growth, and recognising housing as a critical economic enabler for Southland. During the forum, Waihōpai Rūnaka will also unveil new papakāika (housing) at Murihiku Marae. Waihōpai Rūnaka Kaiwhakahaere Cyril Gilroy said the opening of eight new papakāika and kaumātua whare (houses), which have been purpose-built for whānau, would be a proud moment. 'This is an exciting milestone for Waihōpai, as we support our kaumātua with warm, solar-powered housing on the marae grounds. We look forward to having our kaumātua close by, ensuring they receive the support they need, while our wider whānau benefits from their invaluable mātauranga (knowledge) and skills.' Brown said housing played a critical role in supporting Murihiku Southland's regional development goals. It is one of our key enablers and supports population growth, business recruitment and community wellbeing. 'We want to highlight the great work already underway, share ideas and approaches from other parts of New Zealand and beyond, and foster new partnerships that can help us deliver the diverse housing options Southlanders need,' she said. The forum will feature case studies from local and national projects, expert presentations on regulatory and spatial planning changes, and will include the launch of the new Build Southland housing website. The event is free to attend, and all those interested in housing, development and Southland's future are encouraged to register via Great South's website. Event details: Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum Southland Regional Development Agency 143 Spey Street, PO Box 1306, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand Phone +64 3 211 1400 Email info@ Date: Thursday 12 June 2025 Time: 9.00am till 5.00pm Location: Murihiku Marae, Invercargill To register for the forum please complete the following form:
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum Set For June
Great South, in partnership with Waihōpai Rūnaka and Southland's councils, will host the Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum on 12 June 2025 at Murihiku Marae. The event is entitled 'Thinking Differently Together' and will bring together a wide range of stakeholders - including developers, planners, businesses, iwi and community leaders - to explore practical, innovative solutions to the region's housing challenges and opportunities. Great South General Manager Regional Strategy, Bobbi Brown, said the forum was a valuable opportunity for the region to collaborate and think differently about how housing can meet Southland's current and future needs. "Southland has always been known for its can-do attitude and its ability to find practical solutions," she said. "This is not just a talkfest - this is about action, learning from others and making progress together.' The forum will focus on three key themes: broadening housing options beyond the traditional quarter acre dream, aligning spatial planning and regulation to enable housing growth, and recognising housing as a critical economic enabler for Southland. During the forum, Waihōpai Rūnaka will also unveil new papakāika (housing) at Murihiku Marae. Waihōpai Rūnaka Kaiwhakahaere Cyril Gilroy said the opening of eight new papakāika and kaumātua whare (houses), which have been purpose-built for whānau, would be a proud moment. 'This is an exciting milestone for Waihōpai, as we support our kaumātua with warm, solar-powered housing on the marae grounds. We look forward to having our kaumātua close by, ensuring they receive the support they need, while our wider whānau benefits from their invaluable mātauranga (knowledge) and skills.' Brown said housing played a critical role in supporting Murihiku Southland's regional development goals. It is one of our key enablers and supports population growth, business recruitment and community wellbeing. "We want to highlight the great work already underway, share ideas and approaches from other parts of New Zealand and beyond, and foster new partnerships that can help us deliver the diverse housing options Southlanders need," she said. The forum will feature case studies from local and national projects, expert presentations on regulatory and spatial planning changes, and will include the launch of the new Build Southland housing website. The event is free to attend, and all those interested in housing, development and Southland's future are encouraged to register via Great South's website. Event details: Murihiku Southland Regional Housing Forum Southland Regional Development Agency 143 Spey Street, PO Box 1306, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand Phone +64 3 211 1400 Email info@ Date: Thursday 12 June 2025 Time: 9.00am till 5.00pm Location: Murihiku Marae, Invercargill To register for the forum please complete the following form:
Otago Daily Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Commitment to ensuring indigenous stories told well
A hundred cups of tea and generations of indigenous stories will go into the making of Southland's new museum, as the council and mana whenua agree to work in partnership on its creation. Invercargill City Council and Waihōpai Rūnaka say they're both committed to making sure indigenous and local stories are told well in Te Unua Museum of Southland. Late last year, councillors voted to push on with the museum, which is set to open in late 2026, despite an unexpected cost increase of $13 million, meaning a rates rise of 1.5%. And now, things were getting to the exciting stage, according to Te Unua director Eloise Wallace. "It's not just building a building, at the same time we have to create and figure out how to tell all of the stories of Southland - past, present and future," Wallace said. While the building itself was still under construction, conversations were underway to decide what stories to tell, and how. The process was a long one. "It's a huge cast of people who just come together, and just have a hundred cups of tea and really figure out how we can tell these stories with our audience in mind," Wallace said. "When it comes to museums, people like to find themselves, but they also like to find something new, and we really are trying to really push the boundaries for our new museum in terms of how we tell those stories. "Even if we think about the name Te Unua, which is the name for a double-hulled waka, it's about partnership and journeying, and voyaging together." Waihōpai Rūnaka would be working with council on behalf of Kāi Tahu Kā Rūnaka ki Murihiku (which includes Awarua, Waihōpai, Ōraka-Aparima, and Hokonui Rūnaka) to develop the experience within the museum. Rūnaka kaiwhakahaere Cyril Gilroy said it was an exciting opportunity to share tribal stories with the wider Murihiku community. He said the four rūnaka were like pou, with each telling its unique story, and all facing in toward a larger central pou, which stood for the story of Murihiku. Each had their own story to tell. "Sadly, museums have often misrepresented Māori historically, telling personal stories without the involvement of mana whenua," he said. A series of wānaka would be held with cultural and subject matter experts, and mana whenua would work with the experience design team to craft immersive displays using the latest audio-visual technology. Mana whenua had moved around a lot, and their travels made up an important part of the region's story. "They will go beyond our migration stories and broader Kāi Tahu history to include rich pūrakau unique to Murihiku," Gilroy said. "No one knows these stories - but we do." And soon, Southland would too.
