Marae opens for Waitangi Day
The state of emergency in Southland has dampened Waitangi Day commemorations for Invercargill residents.
Evelyn Cook, from the Murihiku Marae, said it was decided on Wednesday night that the wha¯nau would stay at home rather than travelling to the Otakou Ru¯ nanga Marae where they had planned to mark the day.
‘‘Our first responsibility is to care for our community,’’ she said.
While she was disappointed she wouldn’t be seeing her cousins, Cook said it would be safer to stay off the roads and not put extra stress on emergency services.
The marae opened its doors to about 35 people on Wednesday night and 31 of them ended staying the night.
Some were Mataura residents who’d been bussed in from the Edendale evacuation centre about 5pm on Wednesday, but there were also tourists who were stuck in Invercargill and couldn’t travel north and an emergency crew.
Richard Twining, who was evacuated from two different locations in Mataura on Wednesday morning, said he was grateful to the people at the marae who made sure everyone had a hot meal on Wednesday evening.
‘‘They make you feel at
‘‘Our first responsibility is to care for our community.’’ Evelyn Cook, from the Murihiku Marae
home,’’ he said.
It was great to see the tourists interacting with residents and he ended up having an enjoyable evening, he said.
‘‘It was a new experience for some.’’
Labour List MP Liz Craig and Invercargill deputy mayor Toni Biddle – a member of the whanau, also visited. Cook, said Biddle spent the evening driving people from the airport to accommodation throughout the city.
The whanau had always had a good relationship with Emergency Management Southland and were always part of a planned response.
Twining and other Mataura residents will stay at the marae until they’re given the all clear to go home.
‘‘I don’t know what our situation is right now. All I know is what I can read,’’ he said.
Organisers of a Waitangi Day celebration in Te Anau went ahead with the event which included entertainment and a hangi at the Lions Park.
Profits from the day would be donated to community emergency services.