Retaining wall for Waipapa Marae is underway

by Waipapa Marae Trust

Torrential rain this year caused trees to fall onto the marae water tanks.

Trust chair, Cath Holland says it highlighted the urgent need for a retaining wall.  

“This new piece of excavation currently underway at 5491 is a good time to look at the urgent need behind building the retaining wall as well as the challenges,” says Cath.

While retaining walls can be aesthetically pleasing in a marae landscape, Cath points out that the new retaining wall will serve several purposes.

Completing the retaining wall is estimated at $110,000, with the bulk of funding generously provided by the tribe.

“We are forever grateful to Waikato Tainui for coming on board with the Waipapa Marae Trust and purchasing the section next door at 5491.  They stopped the sale of our tribal land from being sold on the open market.  Now, we’re able to build a retaining wall that services both properties.  If the tribe hadn’t stepped in to buy it, building a retaining wall that backs onto someone else's property would have been a challenging task for the marae trust to achieve,” says Cath.

Looking ahead, Cath is mindful that maintenance of the wall is the other challenge for the trust.

“Slopes and retaining walls can crack, move or even collapse, particularly if they’re affected by pressure from heavy rainfall, earthquakes or other natural disasters.  5491 is a sloping property so we have to be aware of how the slope might be affected in the event of heavy rain storms or an earthquake. The marae committee as well as the trust will monitor the wall for any signs of damage, such as cracks or water seepage, given the sloping nature of property 5491.  In the meantime, the builders are making every effort to level out the lay of the land between the two properties” Cath concludes.

“One of the landscape topics that you hear us discussing often at our monthly planning hui is the question of marae infrastructure and the issue of health and safety standards that future-proof Waipapa for our mokopuna.  A retaining wall was a ‘nice to have’ among our list of priorities.  The greater need focussed on new ablution blocks for our wharenui, a new drainage and sewerage system for the marae, fire alarms and water sprinklers for our wharenui and a second fire exit for Ngā Tai."

However, in February of this year, New Zealand found itself suddenly in a national state of emergency as Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country with floods trapping people on roofs, thousands displaced and landslides destroying homes in what officials have described as an “unprecedented” natural disaster. 

Cath says this ramped up the urgent need for a retaining wall as the embankment on the marae began to crumble.

“If you’re driving past the marae, you will note the landscape is changing before your very eyes.  Matariki 2023 has appeared as a sign of a new dawning and new beginnings.”

With the shed now gone at 5491, the retaining wall is expected to be up and completed by the end of September.