Town centre is looking awesome

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Members of the Wainuiomata Marae were also involved in the karakia.

A special moment came near the end of the karakia when Te Arahura Pounamu, gifted by the Wainuiomata Marae, was placed into the ground between the Wainuiomata Community Centre and Queen Street and Kaihirangi Moehu spoke on behalf of the Marae.

Following the karakia there were speeches and light refreshments in Te P taka K rero o Wainuiomata (Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub).

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The town centre “is looking awesome,” Lower Hutt’s Mayor Campbell Barry said.

“Now we do have a town centre that we can be proud of.

“You can see the end result. It’s fantastic out there and it will bring more people here,” the Mayor said.

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He thanked and acknowledged a long list of people and organisations, including the Wainuiomata Marae for all the support it had given the project “and all you do in the community here”.

Among the others he thanks were Love Wainuiomata and the Queen Street Project Manager Jamie Rowe.

One thing that was “really cool,” the Mayor said “was to see how many locals were working on the job.”

Two of the local people were students at Wainuiomata High School, who were working to- wards receiving NCEA level two credits, and who worked for the contractors JFC on a work experience placement.

The two had now completed their level two qualifications and had joined the team at JFC.

The dawn Karakia Whakatuwhera came as the climax to a project that had its genesis some seven years ago. Hutt City Council approved the plan for the Wainuiomata Town Centre Upgrade in 2016.

It also came just over 16 months after another blessing ceremony for the now revitalised town centre.

On 18 February 2022 Konga Reriti, along with other rep- resentatives from Te ti Awa Taranaki Wh nui, led the Te Huringa o Papat nuku to bless the space before work began. Work was originally planned to start in late March last year but Covid-19 and global supply chain issues caused delays to deliveries of paving which meant a delayed start on 26April.

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