With close relationships with both the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and Te Puni Kokiri (TPK), we’ve helped many Marae through the design process to get their Marae funding grants.
Whether you’re planning a refurbishment or new build, and whether it’s a Wharenui, Wharekai, Wharepaku or other Marae related building, we can help. Being a Northland firm, we’re surrounded by the most Marae in the country, so we’re familiar with how they are utilised and therefore how they should be designed.
Where Does The Funding Come From?
Funding for refurbishing and building new Marae buildings comes from Oranga Marae. This page here explains this very thoroughly, and explains that Marae projects must be staged to receive funding.
In short, Oranga Marae is administered by Te Puni Kokiri and the Department of Internal Affairs. Both of these organisations have advisors covering different parts of Aotearoa who will help step you through the funding process, along with the help of firms like ourselves, providing plans and other project reports to assist the applications.
Funding comes from a central pool of money and there is most certainly not enough to go around. Think of it as one pot that all the Marae around the country are applying to have some of, but only some will be selected. That is why it is crucial to put your best foot forward when applying for funding, so the persons allocating where the funding goes can see you are well prepared for your project and that it will be a quick success and good use of funding dollars.
If you want a flash Wharekai, you’ll need to go through the below 3 funding steps.
Step 1 – Create a Marae Development Plan
When your whanau wish to upgrade your Marae, you must start with a Marae Development Plan. The goal of it is to bring together your whanau and hapu vision, aspirations, needs and priorities, and how they relate to your Marae. Your TPK or DIA advisor can assist you in creating this development plan.
There is also a provision to get a funding contribution of up to $15,000 + GST to help cover the cost of hui and preparing your Marae Development Plan.
Step 2 – Technical & Feasibility Support
Once step 1 is completed, you can then request funding of up to $100,000 of funding to assist with completing step 2 – the technical and feasibility aspects of your project. Remember – in your development plan you may wish to do many different projects at your Marae, but you may have to only do the most pressing of these first, to ensure you can get funding to proceed.
Don’t underestimate this step – it’ll take time and patience, but it’s also where we can help.
Technical & Feasibility involves assessing your current buildings, getting them surveyed, drawing up ideas and improvements, deciding on a scope of works, getting the architectural plans done and supporting reports from consultants like fire engineers and structural engineers, and getting the project through council for a Resource Consent (if needed) and a Building Consent.
Step 3 – Marae Development Implementation
This is when the diggers & builders can turn up – but not before ensuring you’ve got the funding! First you must get approval for the funding required to start physical works. A detailed project budget and timeframe will be needed, as this is when the largest sum of money needs to be spent – often upwards of 1 million dollars.
Marae in Northland often approach Foundation North for extra funding after Resource and Building Consent, and fundraise themselves to help contribute to the project.
What Projects Can You Get Funding For?
- New Marae facilities e.g. wharenui, wharekai, wharepaku, tangata whenua or manuhiri shelters, whare waka, car parking (within the Marae reservation land) and fencing
- Conservation and preservation of Marae taonga
- Redevelopment and extensions
- Repairs
- Making a facility fully functional and fit for purpose e.g. essential services required by regulation, or for safety and full function of the facilities for example sewerage and waste water systems, electrical installations or fire sprinklers
- Professional fees
- Project management costs
- Purchase of buildings
- Cultural activities that support the implementation of the Marae Development Plan
Cut-off Dates
Funding for the different stages of the project have different cut off dates for application submissions. These are most often posted on this page here.
How Can Arcline Help?
Most often Marae Trustees approach us after they have completed their Marae Development Plan and have funding lined up for the Technical Feasibility Support step of the project. We can then have a hui at your Marae, and go for a detailed walkthrough of all the buildings and put together a scope of works.
Once this is confirmed and you’ve engaged us to help with your project, we then arrange a full survey of the site, and depending on the project we work on concept drawings to show improvements and new buildings, and begin arranging other consultants if needed – fire engineer, geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, to name a few.
Contact our team today to discuss your upcoming Marae project!
