The Wairoa District Council has endorsed the Te Rohe o Te Wairoa Reserves Board – Matangirau decision to establish a public toilet facility at Pilot’s Hill.

At Tuesday’s Council meeting councillors heard that last month members of the Matangirau Reserves Board conducted a site visit with tangata whenua representatives to the Pilot’s Hill Reserve.

This visit was to initiate discussion about the location of a potential public toilet facility on the reserve.

While an alternative site, opposite Kopu Road and Fitzroy Street intersection, was also considered members of the Matangirau Reserves Board selected the Pilot’s Hill site as plans had already been drawn up for that site and Council considered it the most suitable option given the amount of engineering work already completed for the project.

Wairoa District Councillor and Matangirau Council representative and chairperson Denise-Eaglesome-Karekare said the site decision was also based on local needs.

“We wanted to ensure the needs of our community are looked after by providing a toilet facility in a location where there is the most demand.

“We acknowledge that this is a site of significance and because of that Taiwhenua chairman and tangata whenua Nigel How will follow the excavation process from the very first turning of the dirt.

“Planning for this has been a long time coming, there has been a lot of discussions and this is a result of what working in true partnership with tangata whenua can achieve.”

The facility is a pre-built, self-composting environmentally friendly toilet which will not leach into the soil or waterways.

The Te Rohe o Te Wairoa Reserves Board – Matangirau forms part of the Iwi and Hapū o Te Rohe o Te Wairoa Claims Settlement Bill. With the passing of the Bill into legislation in 2018, the Te Rohe o Te Wairoa Reserves Board – Matangirau is established under section 62 of the Bill.

9 September 2020

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