A rural council and local iwi have unveiled a concept design for a flagship community hub in the central North Island town of Raetihi – but say the money to build it will need to be found.

Ruapehu District Council and iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua have partnered up in plans to build a multi-use community facility on land currently occupied by the town’s police station.

The proposed $10 million facility will be shared by the council and the iwi, but most of the 700 square metres will be public space.

It will house a council service centre, iwi headquarters, a modern library and computer hub, exhibitions and multi-functional community spaces.

Meeting and activity areas are included in the designs, along with community gardens, an “atea” for cultural activity, a fire pit, a hāngi pit, a pā harakeke (flax cultivation) and access to rongoā (traditional medicine) in a riverside bush walk.

Public meetings in Raetihi – population 1038 – last week revealed the concept design by architect team Ōrua and Architectus, and the iwi collective announced the name of the facility.

Iwi chair Aiden Gilbert says the name Te Tihi o te Rae ki Mākōtuku references a culturally significant foothill at the base of Ruapehu, Te Tihi o te Rae, and the stream Mākōtuku which runs alongside the proposed site. The name was chosen after consulting kaumātua and trustees of the iwi entity.

Public spaces in the building will look out over the Mākōtuku and toward Te Tihi o te Rae and Ruapehu, as well as nearby Raetihi Marae and the Rātana temple.

The council has earmarked $3 million in its 2024-2034 Long Term Plan for the building, which is expected to cost between $7m and $10m. It says the rest of the money will need to be sourced externally.

The project partners have identified the police property at the junction of State Highway 4 and the Raetihi-Ohakune Road as their preferred site. They say road safety concerns – such as the need for a roundabout at the junction and the safety of those crossing the highway to get to the facility – would need to be addressed.

Te Korowai o Wainuiārua, which represents the three iwi Uenuku, Tamakana and Tamahaki, has offered the land for the community hub as part of its partnership with the council.

Aiden has previously said it would be offered as a lease arrangement.

The proposal includes a council service centre, iwi headquarters, a modern library and computer hub, exhibitions and multi-functional community spaces indoors and out. Photo: Supplied via LDR.

The police station property was included in the $28.5m Treaty settlement signed between the iwi collective and the Crown last year. New Zealand Police have expressed support for the project and requested a space in the new building.

Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton urges locals to put aside funding and location concerns. He wants people to instead “look at the big picture, hear the story and the reasons why we’re doing it”.

He says road safety issues could be addressed and he is confident that funding will be found through the partnership.

“We’ve got something here that is inspirational. This community deserves to have a multi-purpose building for the future.”

The council’s executive manager of Community and Economic Development, Pauline Welch, says the project team will seek public funding from sources such as Lotto or the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

“We will be working very hard to get the site shovel ready for that funding,” says Pauline.

The new facility is likely to take three to five years to build, she says.

Uenuku Charitable Trust project manager Steve Hirini says during consultation on the council’s long-term plan 2018-2028 and the future of its Raetihi Service Centre, the iwi discussed a post-settlement facility to support both tribal and community aspirations. It proposed a combined community hub.

Work on the proposal began in 2018 but was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Intensive community consultation had since taken place to help decide what the facility should provide.

The project team says the vision is for a vibrant space “where we can share our history and stories, where our tamariki can learn and grow, where our whānau can come together, and where the entire community can connect”.

The concept design includes sustainability features such as passive solar control, rainwater collection and reuse, and opportunities for green roofs.

Pauline says the project partners are seeking feedback over the next six weeks and will then begin work on detailed design.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.