New Plymouth's fund to maintain Māori burial grounds is underspent for a second year and council officers say a multi-pronged approach is needed to fulfil its potential.
An urupā in Taranaki. File Photo. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
The Manaaki Urupā Grants began last financial year, as a fund similar to New Plymouth District Council's (NPDC) grants for rural cemeteries at Huirangi, Lepperton, Tikorangi and Tongapōrutu.
Fifty-thousand dollars was budgeted each year, but in 2021-22 just $33,677 would be spent, said the council's iwi relationship kaiāwhina Anaru Wilkie.
Wilkie told the Te Huinga Taumatua committee the fund's first year was also undersubscribed, with just $41,000 granted.
There were many obstacles to accessing the fund, he said.
The council's criteria restricted the urupā grants to Māori reserve land, freehold Māori land, or general freehold land in Māori ownership.
Of 71 urupā listed in NPDC's district plan, only about 43 were on qualifying land.
"Not all urupā are on Māori freehold land, some are on general land," said Wilkie.
Other urupā that had received grants had not been identified on the district plan.
"They are sites that whānau have identified of urupā that are in disrepair, that are new to our data collection."
"There are many sites still out there that don't have trustees or have whānau that are maintaining those sites, and they've become the priority for improvement."
"There are also those that are needing to get those old urupā surveyed - they are in pastoral land at the moment."
None of the urupā of Maniatoto, Ngāti Tama or Taranaki iwi were yet identified in the district plan.
Applications to the fund had been uneven: Wilkie said Ngāti Maru, Pukerangiora, Tawhirikura and Ngāti te Whiti had made no applications.
"On the other side Ngāti Rāhiri have 11 sites within our plan and they've applied for seven of their urupā - so they have had someone dedicated to apply."
There had been a number of incomplete submissions and some applicants had problems working through the online application system, Wilkie said.
Staff would return to unsuccessful applicants to assist their funding bids, and would work to extend the council's list of urupā, he said.
They also wanted to put links to the Manaaki Urupā Grants and Marae Development Fund on iwi websites.
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