North Canterbury News: December 10, 2020

NEWS
North Canterbury News, December 10, 2020
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Handover... KaikouraDistrict Councilstaff, councillors, Ngai Tahu representatives and Kaikourarunanga
representativesataceremonytoreturn sacred landatOaro, south of Kaikoura, to local Maori. PHOTOS: KAIKOURADISTRICT COUNCIL
Site of pa, burial ground
handed back toMaori
By DAVID HILL
Culturally significant land near
Kaikoura has been returned to
localMaori.
The Kaikoura District Council
hosted aceremony to hand over
land at Oaro,south of Kaikoura,
to representativesofNgati Kuri,
ahapu of Ngai Tahu.
The land,subject to
significantrisk of rockfalls after
the 2016 earthquakes, is the site
of an important pa and urupa
site (burialground).
It was also the siteofthe
former Paua Rock Cafe and
OceanviewMotel.
Te Runanga oNgai Tahu
archives/whakapapa senior
adviser Maurice Manawatusaid
the return of the land was a
significantact for Ngati Kuri, as
the hapu’s ancestors have lain
in the ground for more than 35
generations.
“Thishas beensuch along
time comingand we are very
excited about the return of this
land to our people.”
Following the 2016
earthquakes, central
government provided funding to
buy the Paua Rock Cafe and
OceanviewMotel properties
because of the significant risk of
rockfall.
The buildingswere
demolished and the site
returned to bare ground.
Kaikoura DistrictCouncil
chief executive Angela
Oosthuizen and Mayor Craig
Macklehostedthe ceremony,
which was followed by ameal at
the TakahangaMarae.
Signing ... Kaikoura District Councilchief executive AngelaOosthuizen,
left,Mayor Craig Mackleand Kaikoura runanga representative Hariata Kahu
sign the handover documents.
“I feel very privilegedtobein
apositiontohand this land back
to Ngati Kuri,’’ Mrs Oosthuizen
said.
‘‘It is asignificant momentfor
everyone involved.”
The local runanga plannedto
plant the areawith native trees
and build some chairs for
reflection, Mr Manawatu said.
‘‘We will maintain public
accesstothis areaand
providing the reflection chairs
offers peopleachance to think
about the cultural significance
of this placeand remember
those who have gone beforeus.”
Other speakersincluded Ngai
Tahu kaumatua Sir Tipene
O’Regan, archaeologistMichael
Trotter, and Kaikoura runanga
representative Hariata Kahu.
The Oaro site will link with
the Cultural ArtworkPackage,
an extensive range of culturally
significant artworks dotted
along the Kaikouracoastline,
including pouwhenua and
tekoteko (carved pillars),
vapour­blastedmurals, lasercut
corten steel, and
informationpanels.
Night work on safety canopy extended
Night work to install apermanent rockfall
protection canopy on State Highway 1between
Peketa andthe Parititahi Tunnels southof
Kaikoura has been extended to late February.
New Zealand Transport Agency spokesman Colin
Knaggs said there had been unexpected delays in
the supply of some construction materials because
of port strikes in Australia and Covid­19.
Therewere alsoincreased requirements for
milling and rock removal fromunforeseen
fractured rock, as wellassome design changes in
order to suit the physicalconditions discovered on
site.
Daytime work on the rockfall protection will
finish for the year on December 19 andtraffic will
be two­way for the Christmas/NewYearbreak, from
December 20 to January 5.
Night closures willresume on January 5