Te Poari Whenua Rāhui o Ngāti Whātua ki Ōrākei
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board
What is the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board?
The Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board is the statutory authority established under the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Settlement Act 2012 (and prior to that the Ōrākei Act 1991) to co-govern the Whenua Rangatira and Pourewa Creek Recreation Reserve.
The reserves board is responsible for an expansive area of land lying on the harbour edge between Paritai Drive and Mission Bay, including Ōkahu Bay – the Whenua Rangatira – as well as an expansive area of bush and grassland to the east of Ōrakei Basin known as the Pourewa Creek Recreation Reserve.
Membership of the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board
The reserves board is comprised of equal representatives from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and Auckland Council, including one member of the local board. It is chaired by a representative elected by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and the deputy chair is elected by Auckland Council.
Importance of the Whenua Rangatira and Pourewa Creek Recreation Reserve
Although only a remnant of the original 700 acre Ōrākei papakāinga, the Whenua Rangatira and Pourewa Creek Recreation Reserve maintain a strong spiritual and cultural relationship with surrounding landmarks of importance to mana whenua including (but not limited to):
the upper Waitemata and Kaipara Habour
Takarunga (Mt Victoria)
Takapuna (North Head)
Rangitoto
Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill).
Management and use of the Whenua Rangatira is to reflect the spiritual, social and cultural heart of Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei (marae The enclosed space in front of a wharenui (meeting house) where people gather., urupā Burial ground, cemetry, graveyard., papakāinga Settlement or village on communal Māori land.) and promote the Whenua Rangatira as a taonga to be treasured by all peoples living and visiting Tāmaki Makaurau.
Pourewa was named after the wooden platform that was once erected as a lookout point for the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei papakāinga settlement. It was used by Te Taoū, Te Uringutu and Ngāoho hapū of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei for food production. A range of future activities are proposed to improve environmental, cultural, economic and recreation outcomes for mana whenua and the people of Tāmaki Makaurau.
These sites are wholly owned by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei but, by way of treaty settlement, are to be managed for both the benefit of the hapū and the people of Auckland with all reasonable costs being funded by Auckland Council.
