Marae’s potential value emphasised

Press, 10 June 1980, Page 6

Marae’s potential value emphasised

The unique potential contribution to the Christchurch community of a national marae in Pages Road was the main emphasis given in submissions in favour of the $1.06 million proposal before the Planning Tribunal yesterday. The tribunal, comprising Judge D. Sheppard, chairman and Messrs G. J. Broker, G. W. Ensor, and R. A. McLennan, heard an appeal against a decision of the Christchurch City Council in connection. with the proposal of the Nga Hau E Wha Christchurch Marae (Inc) to build the marae and develop the I4ha property adjacent to Cowles- Stadium, The trustees for the marae rave $94,000 in hand. and expect to receive a Government, subsidy. on the value; ?f the land given to them by die council,' bringing .the total available to more than! >300,000. If .permission is] riven bv the tribunal -to co

-lahead, the first stage, a di-; lining hall with a seating ca-i I pacity of about 700, would si be completed in about two 1 years. >; Submissions in favour of; »| the marae proposal were! 1 made by Mr Ricki Ellison, ai i paramount chief and Maori ’ elder of Taumutu and chair-! i;man of the South Island Dis-1 . trict Maori Council, Mr’ ■ George Brennan, trustee of t the marae board, Mr Peter: - Heal, chairman of the board/ - and Mr A. W. Thorpe, archi-i f’tect for the Christchurch: /City Council. ; ii Mr Ellison ; said that; /changes in the Maori .population's . living pattern had: (necessitated a change in the • marae' concept.;. Instead of; [the traditional rural marae,, /which was associated with a ■ I particular tribe, the new! r 1 type of urban marae gave Jail tribes equal, standing as: lof right. ’ •: ‘p He said there were about i 14,000 Maori people living Jin Ghristchurch, a significant-

■| increase since the first ; c h u r c h-sponsored Maori . community centre was start- ; ed in 1954. The three units at present performing the function of a national marae included Te ; Rangimarie, set up by the Roman Catholic Church, Te Rau Oriwa, set up by the : Phillipstown Maori Mission, and Te Whatu Manawa Maoritanga and Rehua, orig- ; inally set up by the Method- ‘ ist Church, Mr Ellison said, i It was vital that the i marae, which was on council 1 land known as Cuthberts Green,. should proceed, be'cause it had an important (role to play in bringing Maori culture to many dis- ; saffected ' / young . Maori people, as well as providing a forum for the greater understanding of Maori culture by airpeople. A piece of- Maori land I which was ' designated a Maori reserve in 1868, and was now used for ’ ponding -by the Bromley' sewerage

t,station, was the only land in: -i;the Aranui area that might ;-ihave been considered pos-j sible for a marae “at one triime.” a The Maori people were! e given compensation of about! e $166 a year for this land, e taken under the Public; e Works Act last century. It, , I was a “marvellous offer” by i a'-the council to make land in: ithe .same area available for I- the marae, he said. ! Mr Brennan described the e historical significance, of the 1 Maori meeting house and; s the use of a marae, especial-' -jly its importance as the t: venue for the tangi, the ’(Maori people’s ceremonial- - act of respect to its dead. i' Many Maori people were; f unable to be given a proper r!tangi at present because no, -I marae was available to /them, he said. j! Part of the planning, for /the proposed marae would! 1 include .a palisade which /would contain pou pou, or* >; carved figures,..about every -

1: three metres, Mr Brennan /said. These would in- / corporate representations of /all races living in the (Christchurch area. !i Extensive landscaping was /proposed for the marae, and .when newly planted trees /reached a reasonable height jit would be impossible to isee most of the marae build--1 rings from Pages Road or •Shortland Street. There would be no entrance or exit “to the marae off Shortland Street. / The total area of the two imain buildings on the marae /was about 1802 sq m. : Mr Heal said that the marae proposal carried with it the highest ideals of (Maori culture, and would never develop into a place for “beer-drinking parties from week-end to weekend.” It w;as of vital importance !to. the future unity of New Zealand, he said. i The hearing will continue - today.