6 | T T Virginia Wright New centre a tribute to iconic Maunga Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust - North Taranaki Visitors’ Centre REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Located on the slopes of Taranaki Maunga within Te Papakura o Taranaki, the North Taranaki Visitors’ Centre is set to become a defining feature of the region’s tourism and community infrastructure. Formerly Egmont National Park, the name Te Papakura o Taranaki means ‘The highly regarded and treasured lands of Taranaki’, and the new build is designed to be a fitting tribute to the maunga, while meeting the growing demand for high-quality visitor experiences, and supporting local economic development. T T to page 8 The multi-million-dollar project is being led by Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust. The previous Visitors’ Centre was built in 1972, and although it provided good service, it was built in a different era and was far from the new, multi-functional facility which has been designed by TOA Architecture and being built by local Taranaki company Clelands Construction. A product of its time, the old centre resembled “a closed-in box”, explains Te Atiawa chief executive Dion Tuuta. “In one of the most beautiful places in the world, when you were in that building you couldn’t see out, you could have been anywhere, so one of our aspirations is to open it up so that when you’re in the building, you can still be a part of what’s happening outside,” says Dion. After years of planning, the first foundations for the new centre were recently poured by Clelands, with the new building designed to sit within the footprint of the original one. “We’ve been careful not to expand the footprint or increase the impact on Te Papakura o Taranaki,” says Dion. Te Atiawa chairperson Liana Poutu, says the project is a redevelopment initiative that originated fromTe Tapuwae Roa. MEMBER OF ROOFING ASSOCIATION NZ 06 758 1445 farnsworthroofing.co.nz COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL All types of Domestic, Commercial & Industrial Designs & Installations • Full Electrical Designs & Installations • Electrical Inspections, Network Designs, Connections & ICP creations • General Electrical Servicing & Repairs • Full Solar Designs, Quotations & Installations, Servicing & Repairs • Phone & Data Installations, Servicing & Repairs • Electronic Services & Repairs • Full TV Aerial, Dish & Freeview Installations, Servicing & Repairs • Testing & Tagging, On & Off SIte • Full Heat pump & Deducted Systems Installation, Servicing & Repairs P: 06 757 5707 M: 027 531 6386 E: peter@tel.org.nz www.tel.org.co.nz PROUDLY SUPPORTING TE KOTAHITANGA O TE ATIAWA TRUST & PROUD TO OFFER OUR SERVICES NATIONWIDE “This was upported early on through the Taranaki Crossing and the Provincial Growth Fund, and administered by Kānoa, the Regional Economic Developmentand Investment Unit within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE),” she says. “It’s now a partnership between Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust, DOC, and MBIE, with governance shared by Te Kotahitanga, DOC, and Kānoa.
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