Rā whānau

If you have celebrated a birthday recently we trust that you had a great day and celebrated in style.

Rūnanga update

Kia ora whānau,
As the days begin to lengthen we welcome spring and eagerly anticipate the arrival of daylight saving. From the vantage point of our warm and newly refurbished office, we spare a thought for whānau, who are employed in fishing, farming and forestry, who have no choice but to work in the elements. The gardeners among us will be itching to get to work as they watch the moss creep over the lawns. Whitebaiters who have previously been frustrated by the early season river conditions, are now enjoying a more fruitful harvest.

Kōanga brings fickle weather, which at times can cause havoc but as signs of new life start to appear both in the garden and in the paddocks, we celebrate spring and the new life it brings.

This month the office has been chaotic, as the building work for the upgrade is nearing completion. With the building completed, all that remains to be done is the gib-stopping and painting.

Southland Stags

At the beginning of the month we welcomed the Southland Stags on to Takutai o te Tītī Marae. The group enjoyed a three-day stay at the marae, as they attended a pre-season team-building session at Colac Bay and in the surrounding area.

The Stags undertook a series of challenges from The Amazing Race to gather kai. They were also inspired by Master Chef and competed in a cook-off at the Colac Bay Tavern. The locals were treated to some ‘interesting’ culinary concoctions – some of which were more palatable than others. The Stags thoroughly enjoyed their stay at the marae and we wish them all the best for the ITM Cup.

The Southland Stags.

The Southland Stags.

Colac Foreshore Road

Our community hui will be held on 2 October at 7pm. Come along and show your support to the community and see if we can get the road fixed. Representatives from Southland District Council and Environment Southland will be in attendance. This is a major concern to us all as the piece of road washed out is opposite our Ō Kōura wetlands.

As you all know, Ō Kōura used to be the Colac Bay refuse site (years ago) and has toxic waste buried there.
If this road washes out and the toxic material gets washed into our sea, we are in dire straits. We need to take a stand. Make the councils realise the best option is not to ignore this. Come and support this hui and get behind this cause.

If you wish to become involved please contact the office at 175 Palmerston Street, Riverton. You can call us on 03 234 8192 or email us at [email protected]