June 29, 2016
Iwi win Kapiti expressway jobs
Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai’s battle to protect its ancestral whenua during the building of the Kapiti Coast expressway has been rewarded with jobs on the project.
The iwi had raised its concern about its effect on wahi tapu and urupa, and got some concessions.
Iwi administrator Kristie Parata says it’s now embracing the economic opportunities, including getting nine placements with subcontractor Natural Habitats, which is planting alongside the Mackays to Peka Peka Expressway.
"They were really open to working with us Te Atiawa-style. All, the interviews were conducted with whanau and on our space. A lot of them are first jobs – it's really hard to get jobs on the Kapiti coast so they're working locally, they're working on their whenua and they are really looking forward to blanketing our whenua again with nga uri o Tane," she says.
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