Ngāti Manuhiri of Omaha Marae will exchange part of their forestry coastal land for the right to develop and sell upmarket housing sites. The exchange with the Auckland City Council hopes to see the land turned into a new regional park.
Housing in an area, where Ngāti Manuhiri hopes to build commercial profit for their people according to their chief executive Mook Hohneck.
Ngāti Manuhiri spokesperson Mook Hohneck says, “It's not that we are developing a really close-knit housing community for designation so these houses will be spread out over three hundred hectares.”
Ngāti Manuhiri plans to exchange 175ha of coastal land near Te Arai point, Mangawhai with the Auckland Council. It's land they purchased from the Crown following their settlement in 2012.
Hohneck says, “Within the total 750 ha is something that we can work with the council on for the opportunity to put 58 houses on 280ha.”
The land being given to the council is set to become a new regional park. For Ngāti Manuhiri, it's land that can't create economic or environmental sustainability.
“We are only a very small tribe so we see this as a significant start to that long term. We like to like all other tribes and other people, we like our people to be well healthily, well-educated and all the other things, and we can't leave that to everyone else. And the government we have to take responsibility and do that ourselves also so you need commercial backing,” says Hohneck.
There are over 850 registered tribal members affiliated to Ngāti Manuhiri. Their tribal area includes Mangawhai to Okura and Hauturu.