Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga assists whānau, hapū, iwi and marae to preserve taonga through the Māori Built Heritage Programme.
Wharenui, waharoa, wharekai, whare karakia, pātaka, pouhaki, tohu whakamaharatanga, waka and other forms of built heritage are unique taonga. Caring for these taonga can be challenging and require specialist knowledge.
Contact us to find out how we can help.
How we can help
We can provide assistance to whānau, hapū and iwi who want to preserve their heritage buildings and structures. Conservation reports can be prepared for marae trustees and committee members to assist in planning the preservation of a marae taonga.
Our Māori Built Heritage team can support discussions held by marae, trustees and committee members regarding a heritage project. We can provide on-site technical advice, brief project teams, and co-ordinate specialists to work with you.
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has some capacity to provide conservation training and wānanga on whakairo, tukutuku and painted artworks such as kōwhaiwhai.
It is important to find appropriate experts when caring for Māori heritage. Consultants must have experience working with Māori heritage places and be competent in engaging with Māori communities. We can coordinate specialists to work with you.
Our team can support marae that have been impacted by flooding and other natural disasters. See below for resources and more information.
Marae based projects addressing building resilience and performance can come with complex challenges and high costs. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga can advise marae about pre-event readiness and risk mitigation.
Marae protection
Caring for marae and urupā after floods
Our team can support marae that have been impacted by flooding. When re-entering your marae after flooding:
• Do not enter a building that is significantly damaged.
• Turn off the main power switch and unplug all electrical devices.
Wear protective gear, such as gloves, face masks, eye protection and gumboots. Flood water can be heavily contaminated and could cause illness and infections. If mould is present, a face mask can prevent you inhaling spores.
When returning to an urupā after flooding:
• Wear protective gear, such as gloves, face masks, eye protection and gumboots. Flood water can be heavily contaminated and could cause illness and infections.
See the resources below or contact us for more information.
Ngā whakatūpato ahi mō te marae
Protecting marae from fire
Fire is one of the most common forces of destruction of marae buildings. Isolated rural locations and the high flammability of traditional fibre materials puts marae buildings at high risk.
Steps you could take toward fire prevention and preparation include:
• Implementing fire protection systems i.e., smoke detectors, smoke alarms, sprinkler systems and evacuation procedures
• Preparing a fire safety plan
• Including the fire safety plan into the marae regular maintenance schedule
FENZ offers free support to marae whānau. More information can be found on their website or by calling a Pou Takawaenga Māori on 0800 MAHUIKA (0800 624 8452).
See the resources below or contact us for more information.
Te tohenga o te marae ki ngā rū whenua
Improving seismic performance and resilience to earthquakes
Marae buildings have a history of performing well in earthquake events, and many marae around Aotearoa New Zealand have been used to provide temporary accommodation for their wider communities in the aftermath of significant earthquake events. The form of marae buildings and their construction materials make them well-suited to surviving earthquakes.
Recent seismic events have resulted in a heightened focus on building safety and the introduction of legislation such as the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Act 2016.
A structural engineer can provide a structural assessment and recommendations if you plan to strengthen a marae building or structure. Our Māori Built Heritage team can support marae in these discussions and co-ordinate these specialists to work with you.
Depending on the project and the extent of restoration works, a conservation architect may be needed to guide this process.
For advice on seismic strengthening your marae taonga, contact our Māori Built Heritage team.
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