UCOL and Te Puna Matauranga o Whanganui committed

UCOL and Te Puna Matauranga o Whanganui committed to new educational institution

UCOL and education authority Te Puna Matauranga o Whanganui remained determined to create an iwi tertiary institute on the site of the Native Land Court.

UCOL Chief Executive Paul McElroy and Te Puna Matauranga o Whanganui chair John Maihi say they are disappointed with a recent decision from the Environment Court, but will continue to work together on the project.

Mr McElroy says UCOL has taken a great deal from the process “and there are valuable lessons to be learnt from it. We are optimistic and remain committed to the project to develop an iwi tertiary institute. Once we have worked on more specific details with Te Puna Matauranga o Whanganui, we will come back with a further application for approval to realise a facility appropriate to Whanganui iwi needs.”

John Maihi says Te Puna Matauranga o Whanganui is very disappointed with the outcome from the court’s decision. “We feel that the Court could have made a braver decision about this matter. We will continue to work closely with UCOL to realise this tertiary institute for Whanganui iwi and Maori students in the region.

“We believe that the location at the site of the Native Land Court is critical to Whanganui iwi making a truly Whanganui Iwi statement in the Old Town area where there is not one single building which truly ‘speaks’ of the Iwi presence in this whole city.

“This precinct is steeped in Whanganui history and heritage and the link of the site with (Pakaitore)/Moutoa gardens and the Whanganui river is critical to putting this imbalance right.”

The Environment Court has declined an appeal against an earlier Wanganui District Council decision not to allow demolition of the building to make away for an iwi educational institution, next door to Whanganui UCOL’s new campus in Rutland Street.

However the court indicated its decision to decline the appeal was in part because it lacked detail, leaving the door open for a further application.

The Environment Court judgement described the 1922 Land Court building building as “a typical small administrative building of the 1920s/30s'' with little architectural value. Its historic significance is mainly in being the only purpose-built Native/Maori Land Court building of its era and a ``reminder of the history of land alienation in the Aotea district''.

The UCOL case to demolish it is based on using the site first as a green space and then to build a two or three-storey 1200 square metre iwi tertiary institute. Part of the building and resources would support Maori students’ learning pathways to and from Whanganui UCOL: It is expected that the Maori student population will be 33 per cent of students by 2026. The rest would be used for Maori arts and languages, research and environmental management, among other uses.

ENDS

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