Te Tini o Porou Stage One Rebuild near completion

The Te Tini o Porou stage one rebuild is nearing completion and expected to be opened in early August.

Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou purchased the former Gisborne Hotel in June 2014. A key motivation for the purchase was to co-locate our Gisborne Whanau service division (approximately 35 staff) under one roof (delivering a range of contracted whanau and rangatahi services), who now operate out of five different locations in Turanganui a Kiwa.

The rebuild will include a gym, recreational spaces, Whanau meeting spaces, youth areas, landscaped grounds for Ngati Porou whanau whanui to use. The rebuild is a maumahara to our Uncle Api, who had the vision to purchase this facility. Uncle Api renamed the site Te Tini o Porou when the Runanganui purchased the site and we were fortunate for him to have blessed the site late last year before the rebuild commenced.

The development of Te TIni o Porou will take place over many years, with the next stage likely to focus on the conferencing area, dining and café areas. Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou is proud to have done this rebuild a little differently.

The Runanganui, instead of contracting with a developer or lead contractor, has contracted directly with contractors and sub-contractors. This has allowed a high participation of Ngati Porou tradesmen, contractors, subcontractors, apprentices and labourers as part of the rebuild. Allowing this rebuild to be for Ngati Porou, by Ngati Porou.