The original wharepaku building was donated to Ōmarumutu Marae in the 1970s by Hori Hata who was the Super Intendent at Tasman Pulp and Paper Mill at the time.

The wharepaku building served Ōmarumutu Marae for nearly 50 years and in February 2021 a karakia was conducted by Te Riaki Amoamo signalling the start of the Oranga Marae Wharepaku Rebuild.

The demolition of the wharepaku began with whānau volunteers being able to repurpose a significant amount of the building.

Stage One: Feasibility Study

The project began in 2018 with the first application lodged for the Stage One: Feasibility Study of the marae. A procurement process was followed and an architect was appointed. This stage took almost twelve months to complete and was funded by Te Puni Kokiri: Oranga Marae Fund at a cost of $139,000. The feasibility study provided the marae with a detailed report covering all aspects of engineering, building structures, earthquake assessment, fire inspection, geo-technical reports and a detailed design of the wharepaku and wastewater system.

Stage Two: Construction

Funding was approved in December 2020 for $853,000. The working group was formed and approved by the hapū to manage the project through to completion. The working group met regularly and completed all reporting criteria to the ministry while providing updates to the hapū via hui and social media platforms. A public tender process was taken to appoint the building developers, Covenant Homes, who would undertake the project alongside APA Architects.

The Oranga Marae Project was led by Linda Grave (Papuni) and supported by the established working group. The project was a collective success contributed by a supportive and diverse working group consisting of kaumatua, trustees, skilled professionals incl. accountant, builder, designer and communications who met regularly for robust conversations and scrutiny of the project. The hapū was consulted regularly and maintained full oversight on key decisions. In addition to the working group many local whānau supported throughout the stages of development and made a significant contribution to the completion of the project.

Ōmarumutu Marae acknowledges the financial support from Te Puni Kokiri: Oranga Marae Fund and the support of our advisor from the Department of Internal Affairs who have made this project possible.

Working Group: Linda Grave (Papuni), Project Co-Ordinator, Weihana Amoamo, Watene Snell, Greg Hata, Witeria Papuni, Sharon Callaghan, Tina Peters, Bridget Ngawhare.