Trustees to follow up on poukai venue proposals for Waipapa Marae

Trustees to follow up on poukai venue proposals for Waipapa Marae

Waipapa marae trustees passed a resolution last night to follow up on alternative venue proposals tabled with the trust at their last meeting for 2020.  One venue proposal was brought about when our kaumātua spokesperson, Jack Te Papi Cunningham addressed the poukai hui last week at Hopuhopu.confirming Waipapa wouldn’t be hosting a poukai next year because of the infrastructure rebuild.  However, Te Papi said the trustees would consult again with the architects and engineers this week to ensure there was absolutely no possibility of opening the marae for one day on 12 March, 2021. 

At the same Hui, Ōkapū marae also announced they would remain closed due to infrastructure work and the question was asked from the hui organsiers whether one poukai was possible to cover off all 3 Kāwhia marae poukai.

“Maketū marae trust chair, Roy Willison immediately offered up Maketū Poukai as a joint occassion  with Waipapa Marae.  It was a very generous offer as we head into the festive season but we have yet to acknowledge the offer.  Our trustees will meet with Roy and his committee before Christmas to flesh out the detail to their tono before any decision is considered.  Time is of the essence but we don’t want to put Maketū under the hammer,” Te Papi said.

However, he said there was another proposal on the table for our trustees to work through as well; at the end of the day, the Trust is responsible for making the final call. 

He said, “ My understanding is the trust chair is following up on this second proposal immediately and will  report back to the trust this week to make a decision and let me know the outcome.   At the end of the day, it is the Marae Trustees who are legally charged to make  decisions about our marae especially when the situation could compromise  the health and safety of our King and his manuwhiri, our pakeke and our beneficiaries.  Perhaps there is an wee avenue of hope where the engineers and architects can make leeway that’ll allow us to open Waipapa for a one day poukai next year but that remains to be seen.  The trustees are meeting with the engineers today to see whether there's any wriggle room in the rebuild to achieve this.” 

Te Papi said the ideal solution would be to have a one day poukai at Waipapa next year but that will depend on the infrastructure building programme. 

“This is a major building programme involving a number of integrated parts – the installation of a new sewage and waste water system and ablution facilities as well as an extensive fire and sprinkler system across the three Marae buildings.  If you change what’s locked in and interrupt the building plan, this will mean huge dollars to rejig all of the building contractors. 

We may still have to forfeit hosting the poukai altogether next year, who knows.  In the meantime there are proposals on the table for our trustees to consider.  Poukai organisers have given us a month to come up with a solution and report back to them so I’ve left it in the hands of the trustees,” he said

Te Papi said after speaking with trustees last night, the other major priority for the trust was ensuring an environment that was safe for our King who’s health status is constantly changing.

“If we can’t guarantee a safe and healthy environment for our King, then that will drive the final decision,” he said.

The poukai hui was reminded last week if the King wasn’t feeling well enough before a poukai, that poukai would be cancelled immediately.