Ōtiria Marae to build on whenua Māori hui success

All those wanting to learn about preserving and managing Māori-owned land are reminded to attend Ōtiria Marae in Moerewa on Monday 16 December for the second in a series of hui aimed at providing information on whenua Māori in the Far North.

The Ōtiria Marae hui will build on the success of the first whenua Māori information session held at Panguru last month. A highlight of that event was tailored advice provided to landowners by representatives of Te Kooti Whenua Māori / Māori Land Court. Additional resources will be made available at Ōtiria Marae to support this kaupapa.

Far North District Council staff will also be available for one-on-one discussions to answer specific questions at the hui.

Charlie Billington, Group Manager - Corporate Services, says the hui continue to strengthen connections between the council and the community in relation to whenua Māori.

“Feedback from our first session has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re excited to keep these conversations going and to help unlock the potential of the whenua.”

The series kicked off on 23 November at Waipuna Marae in Panguru and was memorable for the manaaki shown by the local community. Thanks go out to all those who participated.

Details about further sessions will be released in the new year. Te Puni Kōkiri / Ministry for Māori Development is expected to join the sessions planned for 2025.

Ōtiria Marae is located at 7 Kingi Road. Locals are encouraged to head straight inside the marae upon arrival in time for a pōwhiri to be held at 10am sharp.