Progress on pa¯ site in pipeline
More than two years after a historical pa¯ site was snapped up by New Plymouth council, talks are set to get under way about what to do with it.
And included in the ko¯rero will be the creation of a new land wars memorial.
In June 2016, the New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) bought the Te Kohia Pa¯ site, on Devon Rd in Brixton, for $715,000.
Known as the L-pa, due to its shape, the pa¯ site near Waitara was where the first shots were fired in the Taranaki land wars, which begun in 1860.
Since the purchase, which was well received at the time by tangata whenua, progress appeared to have stagnated.
However, a report prepared for council by its kaitakawaenga (iwi liaison officer) Aroha Chamberlain suggests some action is on the way.
‘‘The intention of Council in purchasing the property was to ensure that this notable site was transferred into public ownership due to its significance in our history,’’ the report said.
The first step in the process will be for conceptual plans to be developed regarding the pa¯ site.
Within the NPDC’s Long Term Plan, $50,000 was approved to assist with this.
Several steps were suggested by Chamberlain as a starting point for the project, which would involve input from Te A¯ tiawa and Otaraua and Manukorihi hapu¯ . Included in this was identification of a person to lead the development, identifying other key stakeholders and forming an agreement on a shared vision for the site. Alongside this work, Chamberlain highlighted Te Kohia Pa¯ would be an appropriate site for a new land wars memorial to be erected.
‘‘The development of a Land Wars Memorial could be undertaken in preparation for He Ra¯ Maumahara commemorations being held in Taranaki in October 2019,’’ the report said.
He Ra¯ Maumahara is the name given to the national land war commemorations, the first of which was held last year in Northland.
However, a tight timeframe to try and develop the site, along with a possible memorial at the same time were highlighted in the report so it was suggested the two projects be dealt with separately.
Te Huinga Taumatua is likely to oversee the development of the pa¯ concept plan, whereas NPDC staff will manage the administration and organisational aspects of the war memorial project, the report said.
Chamberlain suggested discussion with tangata whenua and the wider community got under way quickly in order for the work regarding the war memorial to be completed in time.
Within the report there is a recommendation that the council’s performance committee delegate authority to Te Huinga Taumatua to approve the final concept plans for the pa¯ site.
However, any additional funding connected to the concept plans, commemorative activities or the war memorial would need sign off from council.