Te Uruhi site cleared for start of works

A ceremony was held this morning at Paraparaumu Beach to clear the way for Te Uruhi, reports the Kāpiti Coast District Council.

Due to the significance to iwi of the site, of the name and of the project itself, the district’s three iwi – Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai and Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki combined to carry out a dawn whenua clearing ceremony.

Mayor K Gurunathan said the whenua clearing ceremony acknowledged old conflicts and breathed new life into positive beginnings.

“In the early 1800s, the area at Paraparaumu Beach was a large pā. It was the place where iwi first landed to establish their authority. The ceremony recognised iwi ancestors who inhabited the area as well as the activities that took place in and around Te Uruhi,” said Mayor Gurunathan.

Resource consents are in place for the first stage of Te Uruhi works which will begin next week. The early works focus around the Tikotu Stream from Marine Parade to the sea and include:

• installing new retaining walls in the stream
• preparing the banks of the stream for planting native species during the next planting season
• removing the existing pedestrian bridge across the Tikotu Stream. Signed pedestrian access to and from the beach will be available while there is no bridge in place
• installing a new stormwater pipe under the carpark
• removing two trees near the stream and trimming others
• removing the Phoenix palm and the pohutukawa near Marine Parade. The Phoenix palm has become too large for its location and is dangerous due to its sharp and poisonous fronds.

Te Uruhi will become an iconic destination in our district.

It will celebrate our rich cultural history and improve biosecurity protection of our taonga, Kāpiti Island. Innovative displays will tell our local stories and the Kāpiti Island conservation story.

Te Uruhi will comprise two small accessible and relocatable building pods connected by a single roof. It will be surrounded with decks and landscaped gardens. A biosecurity facility for visitors to Kāpiti Island will be housed in one building pod, and a gift shop selling local artisan products and a coffee vendor could feature in the other pod. A new accessible bridge over the Tikotu Stream will provide access to the beach and the Kāpiti Island boats.

Te Uruhi is 50% funded by the Government’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

More information at kapiticoast.govt.nz/teuruhi