Monday 17 June 2019

Tapu-te-Ranga Trust and Marae
Statement to the Community

Update: Tapu Te Ranga Marae tapu lifted and Community Service planned for this weekend

Tēnā koutou katoa,

The tapu was lifted from the marae whenua as the sun rose yesterday (Sunday) morning. Kaumatua of the Home of Compassion, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Atiawa and marae from the rohe of Pōneke, Porirua and Te Awakairangi converged to invoke the waerea. The sacred ritual involves karakia to remove the tapu from the marae whenua before work is carried out to clean up the site. We are waiting for Fire and Emergency NZ to complete the forensic report, which we are expecting to receive sometime this week.

We are grateful for the community’s continued aroha by way of koha, kai and mahi. We appreciate the immense support we have received from a network of social service providers consisting of Wellington City Council’s Welfare team, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Social Development, Wellington City Mission, Kahungunu Whānau Services, Wellington Boys and Girls Institute, the District Health Board, Wesley Community Action, local churches and others.

The Trust has developed a positive working relationship with Wellington City Council both historically and in recent years. We are working alongside council officers, city councillors and the Mayor as we address the short-term needs of our whānau and consider the future of our marae.

We remain optimistic as we focus our efforts on cleaning up the marae site with the utmost care, salvaging taonga such as photographs, artworks and sculptures and eventually planning to rebuild our marae, which has served the community since 1974.

A community service will be held this weekend – more detail will come.

Ngā Mihi,

Gabriel Tupou
Spokesperson
Tapu-te-Ranga Trust

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