Gearing up for Waitangi celebrations
With the Far North’s biggest event of the year almost upon us, the council is gearing up to ensure that Waitangi week runs as smoothly as possible for residents and visitors.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather at Waitangi next week to commemorate 185 years since the February 6, 1840, signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – New Zealand’s founding document.
The week begins on Monday 3 February with a service to reopen the 101-year-old whare tupuna at Te Tii Marae. The building was closed for stage one of the marae’s restoration project and thousands are expected to attend a dawn ceremony marking its reopening.
Far North District Council is proud to support events planned for Waitangi week and has been working for close to a year alongside Waitangi National Trust, Waitangi Day Commemorations Committee and Waitangi marae on event preparations. It has also contributed funding to the Waitangi Day Commemorations Committee and Waitangi Marae Committee to help host Waitangi week.
During Waitangi week, the council will ensure that traffic controls are in place in areas outside the treaty grounds, and that public toilets are cleaned and rubbish bins cleared regularly. The council will also have a presence on the treaty grounds during the week with two stalls on Waitangi Day. One promoting the council’s mobile library and the work of its Climate Action and Resilience Team, and throughout the week another in collaboration with Electoral Commission highlighting the 2025 local authority elections in October based at Te Tiriti o Waitangi Marae.
Stay tuned for more updates about Waitangi week events, how to get there and parking options.