TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI SATURDAY-SUNDAY, JULY 10-11, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.70 INSIDE TODAY LOCAL HOMES PAGE 4 NEW BY LOCAL PBL PEOPLE PAGE 3 LEADING BY PAGE 2 EXAMPLE UP SHE Hammer GOES drops on by Murray Robertson $1.97m for POLICE explosives experts were called in on Thursday to destroy a collection of ageing gelignite on a farm property on the Te Wera Road north of Matawai. The 30-year-old explosive material, about 25 kilograms of it, had been stored in a shed on the property. Police said the gelignite was packaged up, removed from the shed and taken to an undisclosed location on the farm. farm ‘gift’ It was blown up in a controlled detonation on Thursday afternoon. Fire and Emergency NZ provided their command vehicle for communications during the operation. Picture supplied Auction room erupts in applause as sale sealed by Murray Robertson estate of a very generous man.” He and fellow agent Matt Martin THE “gift of a lifetime” exceeded listed the property. expectations yesterday when the The vendor’s identity, and that of farm property estate at Waerenga-a- the buyers remain confidential. Hika being sold for charity realised As part of the charitable $1.970 million. transaction the agents for the The owner of the Brown Road sale, Ray White Realty, will donate property, who died earlier this year, the company share of the sale bequeathed the proceeds of the sale commission to Ronald McDonald to the Starship Foundation and the House. That will be a sum of more Eastland Rescue Helicopter Trust. than $24,000. Starship will receive two-thirds The trustees, who wish to remain of the sale proceeds (more than anonymous, said the whole process $1.3million), and the chopper has been a “pretty amazing thing to organisation the other one-third be part of”. ($650,000-plus). “We can all be very proud of the Bidding for Lot 10 in the Ray man who has made this incredibly White Realties auction at the generous gift of a lifetime possible.” Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club The chattels and farming yesterday afternoon took a minute equipment on the property will or two to get started, but once under be sold next Saturday, and the way it look off after opening at $1.4 proceeds divided between Starship million. Foundation and the rescue It ended 18 bids later at $1.970 helicopter service, again on a two- million, $300,000 above the rateable thirds/one-third basis. value for the 21-hectare cropping Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust and grazing property. chairman Patrick Willock was When Ray White’s head among the crowd at the auction auctioneer Daniel Coulson dropped yesterday afternoon. the hammer the room erupted in “We remain incredibly grateful for applause. the gesture,” he said afterwards. “What a marvellous result for a “It’s a hugely generous one, great couple of charities,” said Ray and in a way it’s indicative of the White Gisborne co-director and tremendous support we get from the rural specialist Alan Thorpe. community to run the helicopter.” “It would have to be the most As he has said previously this generous thing I’ve ever seen. was the sort of thing heard about “A really pleasing result, a great happening in the major centres but price for the property,” Mr Thorpe not so much in Gisborne. said. “We feel really privileged to have CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 been able to conduct the sale for the GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ...... 11-12 Classifieds ... 24-27 Farming ....... 17-18 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............13 Television ....W9-11 Sport ............ 28-32 TOMORROW National .......... 6-10 World....... 14-15,19 Racing ................22 Weather .............31 977 1175467004 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Saturday, July 10, 2021 ‘By our people, for our people’ ON ITS WAY: Gisborne Hiabs helping deliver a Whare Awhina to its new home. Picture supplied by Matai O’Connor intervention for those who are trying to survive day-to-day. It is about getting them on to the HIKURANGI Enterprises has started building ownership ladder. This is way of doing that, ‘by whare awhina (sleep outs) as a solution for the our people, for our people’.” lack of housing on the East Coast. Mr Ehau says Hikurangi Enterprises realised Hikurangi Enterprises (HE) was set up in early on that a major hurdle to creating jobs 2016 to increase the well-being of residents in for people to return home, was that there was the Waiapu area through sustainable economic nowhere for them to live. development. “Even with work opportunities our people That mission has not stopped as they now are cannot return home.” providing a “by locals, for locals” solution to the The total cost of a Whare Awhina is housing crisis. around $42,000 ex GST delivered on-site with HE kaiwhakahaere (chief executive) Panapa foundations, stairs/deck and soak pit for run-off Ehau says after being inspired by Ngati Porou water. “This is much cheaper compared to similar Whare Moe, they are building 30 square metre products of around $80,000 plus,” Mr Ehau said. Whare Awhina for whanau in need. “We know that many of the whanau in need “These are not for profit, and are the first stage don’t have money available to purchase a home. of a modular housing solution,” Mr Ehau said. Banks won’t lend that amount for this type of Regulations changed in 2020 to allow purchase, and financing companies and loan construction of small buildings such as cabins sharks charge ridiculously high interest. or sleep-outs greater than 10sqm but less than “We are working with Community Finance and 30sqm. the Tindall Foundation to develop an empathetic WHARE KAIMAHI: Richard Awarangi, Ej and Panapa Ehau, and Jimmy Taylor in front The sleep-outs are built to a high standard, lending mechanism that will allow low socially of a completed Whare Awhina. Picture by Ben Cowper exceeding the building code. They are fully economic whanau to rent to own these whare.” insulated, plywood instead of jib board and have Foundation manager John McCarthy said doubled glazed windows in aluminium frames. his organisation was excited to support HE to One crew has been set up in Gisborne to Turanga Ararau in Kahutia St have provided a “Our baseline for everything we build is that develop this innovative housing project in Te develop the model with another crew soon to be temporary building site until the end of this year. we only build whare that we are happy to put our Tairawhiti. set up in Ruatorea. “Everyone we have engaged with has been families in,” Mr Ehau said. “We recognise there is a desperate need “Beyond Te Tairawhiti there is interest in 100 percent supportive including Te Aitanga- “These will last longer than 50 years. Our for affordable, warm, dry housing across New scaling this model throughout the country. Our a-Mahaki, Turanga Ararau, Tindall Foundation, people deserve high quality products.” Zealand including in Te Tairawhiti. focus is local but we are also thinking nationally. Bunnings, Stop Digging, BJ Moss, Kitchen Zone, “My passion project for the last 20 years has “Because this is a locally-driven, practical “Our workers are paid well and love building Kevin Hollis Glass, Civil Project Solutions and been housing,” Mr Ehau said. initiative, it will build on the mana and well-being these for the kaupapa of housing our people.” Gisborne District Council.” Other Tairawhiti iwi As of March 2021 a total of 564 people on the of the local people and help address the housing EJ Ehau is the team leader with a background have said they are interested. East Coast were on the housing register, and crisis,” Mr McCarthy said. in commercial project management, boat building Hikurangi Enterprises is reaching out to the more than 23,000 nationwide. A team of four kaimahi (workers) are building and joinery. He was the project manager for the community for support. “We don’t have enough houses (here) and the Whare Awhina. Rua Bioscience cannabis facility in Ruatorea. “We are currently looking for a Gisborne-based much of the housing stock is shocking, like the They can build one in 10 days and have Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki have purchased six of site where we can set up a series of 40-foot rest of New Zealand. received a grant from the Tindall Foundation the Whare Awhina to be used as transitional containers and shelters for the team to build in “We are a social enterprise and we decided to invest in infrastructure to build more, and housing while they get new houses built. all weathers and pump these whare out. let’s just start building not for profit. The building quicker. He is working with GDC to design modules “We are also looking for builders of varying industry is under the pump so not many people “If we doubled the number of workers we that include ablution and cooking facilities that experience to come on board. are out there doing things not for profit,” Mr Ehau would be about to increase the output of Whare will connect to the Whare Awhina model. “While our focus is on those in the greatest said. Awhina.” “The demand is massive,” Mr Ehau said. “Last need we are also looking for people who can “The building industry is not incentivised to do Making Whare Awhina is a not for profit year we put a post on Facebook asking if people afford to purchase these with some profit on top things not for profit.