Pipiwharauroa

Toitū Tairāwhiti Builtsmart Limited

Toitū Tairāwhiti Builtsmart Limited project lead Willie Te Aho stresses the need, as committed, to get the repairs completed on all uninsured houses by 31 August 2023. “We can get this done in this timeframe; we just need to buckle up and commit,” he says. “We need to accelerate what we are doing now with the right supports, but we all know the consequences if we don’t keep up.” The aim is to repair uninsured houses, in line with the repairs assessment reports, by 25 August 2023 so that whānau can return to their warm, safe homes by 31 August 2023. The team is also working on the same timeframe for the insured homes subject to any issues with insurers and the Gisborne District Council being resolved.

On the ground, the focus continues to be on general tidying; supporting the uninsured and acting on behalf of the insured whānau who have signed Authority to Act agreements; constructing, locating and connecting the newly built Whare Awhina; securing furniture or appliances for whānau without insurance, removing silt from underneath houses and the repairs programme; confirming a plan for those who agree with the raising of their houses and to start the process to consider if Te Karaka is the permanent ‘peace of mind’ place for residents. Whānau are mindful that houses previously raised after Cyclone Bola were not safe from the destruction of Gabrielle, but to move or not will be their decision.

Removal of silt is being carried out under Te Aitanga ā-Māhaki Trust, overseen by Dave Pikia and an overall cost to repair six houses has been agreed upon with Te Pae Hākari. Work is planned for completion to a turn key state assuming there are no unforeseen damage by 25 August 2023.

Willie and his team do not want to see people continuing to exist in cramped motel rooms and overcrowded living conditions.

The mamae and stress of whānau is felt and there is no Plan B. The plan is that over the coming month politicians will be celebrating with Te Karaka whānau as they move from motels in Tūranga back to temporary housing in whare āwhina on their land in Te Karaka.

At the end of August 2023 celebrations will continue as whānau move back into their warm, safe and repaired homes that were damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle. Willie is urging other rohe impacted to act with urgency as, after this month, he is concerned the need will drop out of sight for wider government officials and departments except Te Puni Kōkiri and Housing and Urban Development, both of which continue to demonstrate their committed support. “We will wait for Sir Brian’s report and once the budget is announced, their hands will be tied,” says Willie. He is also adamant that there will not be any underspend on funding allocations to date.

There is much activity at the Toitū Tairāwhiti Builtsmart facilty with eight 97m2 permanent houses and twelve 30m2 temporary homes being built at the same time. The Whare Awhina have acted as a pivot to accelerate both temporary and permanent housing in Tairāwhiti and for temporary housing in Te Wairoa.

To complete the Whare Āwhina, another four teams of three people will be needed with options currently being pursued. A $4 million loan to be converted to a grant is being sought so that the same type of infrastructure as Toitū Tairāwhiti Builtsmart facilty can be extended to Ruatōrea and $85m is being sought in the next financial year to meet the recognised housing shortage of 500 houses in Te Tairāwhiti through to Te Whānau ā-Apanui.

Included in the plan are 75 business as usual houses across the entire rohe, the establishment near Gisborne hospital of a Wellness Centre, 20 Tūranga Tangata Rite Wellness houses and 50 Tūranga Tangata Rite Wellness social houses aimed at moving people without homes out of motels. As a part of our economic recovery, a further $20 million investment is being pursued to add to the value chain of house building through a portable sawmilling operation to harvest wood from Waipaoa 3B and the establishment of a retail store like Placemakers.

Recently Minister Kiritapu Allan visited Rangatira Marae, whānau in Te Karaka, including those who have just received locally built by Whare Āwhina, the old Primary School site to see where eleven new houses will go, to the settlement by Takipū marae and concluded with a visit to the Builtsmart facility to meet the building team.

The plan is to still move Te Rangatira marae to higher ground on Rangatira title. A proposal for $5 million in funding to assist in the relocation and re-establishment costs of shifting the marae has been put to Cyclone Taskforce leader Sir Brian Roche. It is hoped that it will be included in 18 May’s budget announcement. The costs are to cover securing the land, establishing a new Māori reservation with trustees, relocating and rebuilding the wharenui whakahau; the establishment of appropriate infrastructure and building of a new ablution block and a new wharekai to replace the existing one that is condemned.

While the major focus of the previous meetings has been on temporary housing or getting whānau back into their homes, the plan to relocate Rangatira marae to higher ground could well be the start of the entire township moving with the addition of a purpose-built emergency evacuation centre offering “peace of mind housing.”

“No whānau will ever contemplate moving to higher ground without their marae being moved first,” says Willie. “Work will commence on getting a community consensus requiring fifty percent support by next May if the township is to be moved. “Separate investment will be needed for Kaumātua flats; Māhaki Tiaki (Civil Defence Hub) that is fully earthquake proof with a full sized gymnasium with spectator viewing, separate bathrooms and cooking facilities able to cater for up to 500 people like the big sports venues in Cyclone prone states in America have.” The concept was presented to Minister Allan on her recent visit.