Date:  29 November 2024 Source:  Office of the Minister for Conservation, Office of the Associate Minister for Regional Development

This state-of-the-art facility provides visitors to the West Coast with a high-quality experience and helps boost the region’s economy while protecting this special place, Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson says.

The Ministers opened the centre beside representatives from Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai, Kānoa – the Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, and others at Dolomite Point, Punakaiki, along the South Island’s West Coast on 29 November 2024.

Cradled within the beautifully rugged Paparoa National Park, tourists from around the world have helped make this one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most popular visitor sites with its limestone stack geology and dramatic blowholes. Up to 500,000 people a year would visit before the impact of COVID-19.

Mr Potaka said the Punangairi Visitor Experience Centre was a beautifully designed building that brings mana to the visitor experience and fits into the surrounding landscape.

“It’s home to a smart multi-media encounter, Paparoa Experience, which will deliver a richer experience thanks to members of Ngāti Waewae alongside staff from Te Papa Atawhai.

“This mahi is a great example of the importance of strengthening our relationships with Iwi/Hapū for achieving shared conservation goals, and targeting investment into high-value conservation areas,” Mr Potaka says.

Mr Patterson said the $45.47 million redevelopment project was jointly funded by $28.10 million from the Provincial Growth Fund, managed by Kānoa and $17.37 million from the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai. The work was delivered in close partnership with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae over several years.

“The government is focussed on supporting regional tourism, economic growth, and delivering better public services. The improved visitor experience encourages people to stay longer, supporting the local businesses and regional development benefits for the long-term,” Mr Patterson says.

As well as the building itself, the surrounding area has been redesigned, to improve visitor experience and safety, with traffic, highway, parking, and pedestrian upgrades, with a pedestrian and cycle path connecting other visitor sites throughout Punakaiki and landscaping improvements.

Tourism to public conservation areas brings over $3 Billion into Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy each year, celebrates our natural and cultural heritage, and creates jobs in communities.

Ngāti Waewae Chairperson Francois Tumahai said the opening marked a significant milestone for Ngāti Waewae and Tai Poutini.

“We have had long-held aspirations to reconnect with Punakaiki and we now have that amazing opportunity through Punangairi Visitor Experience Centre. We look forward to delivering on this exciting future for Tai Poutini with our partner, Te Papa Atawhai.”

Notes for editors

Sheppard & Rout Architects led a design team encompassing all engineering disciplines, as well as traffic, landscape, and civil design services. Naylor Love Canterbury Ltd undertook the main construction works. Naylor Love subcontracted numerous West Coast businesses and suppliers.

He whare manuhiri pai rawa atu mō Punakaiki

Ka kounga kē atu te wheako o ngā wae hōpara ka tae atu ki te wāhi rongonui o Punakaiki i tētahi whare manuhiri pai rawa atu e whakahaerehia ana e te iwi o reira, hei tā te Minita Whāomoomo, hei tā Tama Potaka.

Ko tā te whare rawe nei he whakarato atu ki ngā manuhiri o Te Tai Poutini he wheako kounga rawa, ko tāna hoki he āwhina ki te whakangako i te ōhanga ā-rohe o reira me te whakahaumaru tonu i tēnei wāhi whakahirahira, te kī a Mark Patterson, te Minita Tuarua mō te Whanaketanga ā-Rohe.

Nā ngā Minita e rua nei te whare i whakatuwhera ki te taha o ngā kanohi kitea o Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, te Papa Atawhai, Kānoa, me ētahi atu ki Punakaiki, ki te taha o te moana ki Te Tai Poutini i te 29 o Noema 2024.

Kei te Papa Tāpui ā-Motu o Paparoa, arā kei tērā whenua kāroaroa, tērā whenua ātaahua ko tēnei wāhi e okookotia nei, ka mutu kua āwhina ngā wae tāpoi nō ngā tōpito katoa o te ao ki te whakamōhio atu koinei tētahi o ngā wāhi rongonui rawa o Aotearoa, me tōna aronuku pākeho whakaapaapa me ōna kōwhāwhā whakaputa wai. Piki ake ki te 500,000 ngā tāngata ka tae atu i te ia tau i mua i te pānga mai a te KŌWHEORI-19.

E ai ki a Minita Potaka, ko te Whare Wheako Manuhiri o Punangairi tētahi whare e tino ātaahua ana te hanga e mana ai te wheako manuhiri, ā, e hāngai ana te hanga ki te taiao e noho nei tēnei whare.

“He kāinga tēnei mō tētahi tūtakitaki arapāho mātinitini e atamai ana, arā mō Paparoa Experience, mā tērā e whakarato atu tētahi wheako kounga mā te mahi tahi a Ngāti Waewae me ngā kaimahi o Te Papa Atawhai.

“He tauira pai tēnei mahi o te hiranga o te whakapakari i ngā hononga ki ngā iwi me ngā hapū kia tutuki ai ngā whāinga kotahi mō te whāomoomo, me te tuku tōtika i te pūtea ki ngā wāhi whāomoomo e nui ana te wāriu,” hei tā Minita Potaka.

I kī mai a Minita Patterson mō tēnei kaupapa whakawhanake he 45.47 miriona te uara, i utua kotahitia ki te 28.10 miriona i ahu mai i Te Tahua Whakatupu Rohe e whakawhaerehia ana e Kānoa me te 17.37 miriona i ahu mai rā i Te Papa Atawhai. I whakahaerehia tēnei kaupapa nā runga i tētahi rangapū piri tata me Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae i roto i ngā tau.

“E aro atu ana te kāwanatanga ki te tautoko i te tāpoitanga ā-rohe, te whakatupu ōhanga, me te whakarato i ngā ratonga tūmatanui e pai ake ana. Nā te whakapai ake o te wheako manuhiri e ākina ana ngā manuhiri ki te whakaroa atu i te nohoanga ki reira, me te tautoko i ngā pakihi ā-hapori me ngā hua pai o te whanaketanga ā-rohe mō tētahi wā roa,” te kī a Minita Patterson.

Hei tāpiri atu ki te whakangako o te whare, kua waihangatia anō te wāhi e taiāmio ana i te whare hei whakapai ake i te wheako manuhiri me te haumarutanga o ngā manuhiri mā ngā whakahoutanga i ngā ara waka, te huarahi, ngā tūnga waka, me ngā ara hīkoi, me te tūhono ki ētahi atu wāhi manuhiri huri noa i Punakaiki mā ngā ara hīkoi me ngā ara paihikara, me te whakapai anō o te whenua.

Mā te tāpoitanga i ngā wāhi whāomoomo tūmatanui ka kohia mai te 3 piriona tāra ki te ōhanga o Aotearoa i te ia tau, mā taua āhuatanga anō ka whakanuia te tuku ihotanga o te taiao me te ahurea, ā, ka waihangatia e te tāpoitanga i aua wāhi rā he tūranga mahi i ngā hapori.

Hei tā te Heamana o Ngāti Waewae, hei tā Francois Tumahai, i tohua e te whakatuwheratanga tētahi rā whakahirahira mō Ngāti Waewae me Te Tai Poutini.

“Kua roa nei mātou e wawata nei ki te tūhono anō ki Punakaiki, ā, kua ea tērā āheitanga whakamīharo i te Whare Wheako Manuhiri o Punangairi. E hīkaka ana te ngākau i te whakatinana i tētahi wawata whakahihiko mō Te Tai Poutini ki te taha o tō mātou hoa haere, o Te Papa Atawhai.”

He kōrero mā ngā ētita

Nā Sheppard & Rout Architects i ārahi tētahi tīma whakahoahoa i ngā mahi pūhanga katoa, nā rātou hoki i ārahi ngā ratonga waka, ngā mahi hoahoa whenua, me ngā ratonga whakahoahoa metarahi. Nā Naylor Love Canterbury Ltd i whakahaere ngā mahi matua o te hanga whare. Nā Naylor Love hoki i tō mai ētahi atu pakihi o Te Tai Poutini hei āwhina i te mahi.

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