Push for papakāinga development
Quality, intergenerational housing on Mā ori ancestral land has been put on the table for public discussion.
Matamata-Piako District Council is proposing to make changes to its district plan to enable papakā inga to be developed in the area more freely.
The plan change proposal comes after council’s Te Manawhenua Forum raised the mandate, to help improve outcomes for their people.
Te Toa Horopū ā MatamataPiako/Mā ori ward councillor Gary Thompson said the plan change had been a long time coming after almost a decade of lobbying.
He wanted to see iwi members return to the rural regions and prosper.
‘‘I get to listen to marae whā nau talk about their dreams and aspirations, and papakā inga is one of those elements that is a key cog for bringing our whā nau home to the marae.
‘‘The opportunity is to bring our people out of the cities, back to the haukā inga and reconnect,’’ Thompson said.
Papakā inga describes groups of whā nau-centric dwellings that are often situated near a marae.
They provide a settlement for Mā ori communities to thrive while being surrounded by other resources such as mā ra kai (gardens), education centres and health clinics.
If the plan change goes ahead, 275 new homes for Mā ori in the district could be built.
There are hopes the district plan change could provide some leverage against issues stemming from a nationwide housing crisis.
Of the more than 24,000 applicants on the national housing register as of September, more than half were Mā ori.
And 12,711 Mā ori applicants were awaiting housing, the largest portion by ethnicity.
Te Ao Marama Maaka, the chairperson of council’s Te Manawhenua Forum, said the plan change had opened up the opportunity for a partnership with council that had been very positive so far.
‘‘It is our hiahia [desire], it is our wawata [dream], this will help whā nau to build quality homes which will go down to each generation,’’ Maaka said.
‘‘It is that burning desire to have a home of their own and this is what we want.
‘‘My generation struggled, and we don’t want the next generation to feel like that.’’
Papakainga would be introduced in the district through two options under a ‘‘Mā ori purpose zone’’.
Papakā inga Tahi/Precinct 1 would clear the way for houses to be built on marae or Mā ori freehold land. Papakā inga rua/ Precinct 2 would enable housing to be built in areas where there were already papakā inga.
District-wide provision was the third option which would be slightly different.
It would open the door for development on Mā ori freehold land, general land owned by Mā ori and Treaty settlement land if there was proof of ancestral connection and legal whā nau ownership. The new rules would mean Mā ori landowners could have the opportunity to develop papakā inga on their land, at no cost to ratepayers, council said.
It was also about supporting the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of tangata whenua.
Some members of the public were worried that housing was being prioritised for Mā ori. However, Matamata-Piako mayor Adrienne Wilcock said the plan change would simply allow Mā ori to build on their land with fewer obstacles.
‘‘Traditionally there are other papakā inga in other districts and a lot of them had to jump through hoops to be able to get a resource consent to do it . . . it removes some red tape,’’ Wilcock said.
Last year, the council agreed to partner with local Mā ori through a working group which would explore the different options for development.
Council sought feedback on an early draft proposal at the beginning of the year.
It was now in the process of formalising changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) and seeking final public consultation on the latest version of the proposal.
Public consultation on the proposed changes to the district plan to enable papakā inga housing is open until December 8.