Help find a permanent home for the Anaweka Waka
Council has received a proposal for a wharewaka (museum-type building) to be built at Pioneer Park in Tākaka to house the Anaweka Waka and provide cultural exhibition space.
The proposed facility would become the future home of the internationally significant Anaweka waka: a rare 650-year-old waka section discovered on the West Coast of Golden Bay in 2011. The taonga has undergone extensive preservation work and is now ready for long-term public display and protection.
The wharewaka would be built on Pioneer Park at no cost to Council - but Council still wants to hear your views on the use of the land for this purpose.
The project is being developed by Manawhenua ki Mohua with Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama and Te Ātiawa representatives, in collaboration with project partners, and the Golden Bay Museum.
About the proposal
The preferred site for the wharewaka is Pioneer Park at 79–81 Commercial Street, Tākaka, adjacent to the Golden Bay Museum. The site is currently Council reserve land and has been previously designated as a site for a museum.
Elected representatives previously agreed in principle to investigate use of the site, subject to public consultation.
Before any final decisions are made, Council wants to hear community views on:
- Whether Pioneer Park is an appropriate location
- The benefits and impacts of the proposal
- Use of reserve land for the wharewaka
- Considerations relating to the park layout, trees, memorial relocation, access, and community use
Community feedback will help inform future Council decisions about the site and next steps for the project.
The preferred site is Pioneer Park at 79–81 Commercial Street, Tākaka, adjacent to the Golden Bay Museum.
The current concept design includes:
- A dedicated climate-appropriate home for the Anaweka waka
- Shared visitor and welcoming spaces with the Golden Bay Museum
- Exhibition areas for taonga and cultural storytelling
- Opportunities to share mātauranga Māori, including waka building and celestial navigation traditions
- Educational and cultural experiences for residents, schools, and visitors
Supporters of the proposal believe the wharewaka could:
- Protect and showcase a nationally significant archaeological taonga
- Strengthen recognition of local iwi history and identity
- Enhance cultural tourism and visitor experiences in Golden Bay
- Create educational opportunities for schools and the wider community
- Complement and strengthen the Golden Bay Museum offering
- Provide long-term cultural, social, and economic benefits for the district
At this stage, project representatives have advised they are not seeking funding from Council, and that further detailed design, consenting, and governance work would follow if Council agreed to allow the site to be developed.
Following consultation, if Council decides to approve the use of Pioneer Park, it does not guarantee the wharewaka will be built.
Further due diligence, design, consenting and fundraising is to be undertaken before this decision can be reached.
