By Heather Carston Editor
THIS week has been a very big one for us here at King Country News. Not only do we have the King Country Farmer, we have also produced a 20-page commemorative issue for the celebrations of Te Rangiwaituhi the completion of the treaty settlement claims for iwi Maniapoto, as well as the 150th centenary celebrations of Te Tokanganui-a-Noho, all being held at the Te Kūiti Pā starting tomorrow and finishing on Sunday. So this particular issue will be one of the largest we have put out in many, many years and I want to thank the entire team who worked over and above their normal hours to produce the publications it contains. CROWN APOLOGY The Te Rangiwaituhi celebrations will culminate in Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s delivery of the Crown’s formal apology from there on Sunday. These are exciting times as the iwi under the umbrella of Te Nehenehenui, the new post-settlement governance entity that took over from the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board back in September, takes its first steps in formalising how the $177million settlement, along with the assets of the former MMTB, will be best used for all of the people and the future generations whom it represents. Our commemorative issue sees Te Nehenehenui explain all this in a way that is easy to understand as the real work moving forward for future generations gets underway. It is an auspicious occasion on all accounts and there is a lot of satisfaction for the team here that we are part of such an historic event. TRAFFIC CONTROL There will be more than 3000 visitors expected across the three days as people from all over the country, and some from overseas, arrive to take part. What this means is that two-thirds more than the entire population of Te Kūiti will be in town for much of the three days. There will be delays on areas of SH3, particularly around the Pā area and those who are controlling the traffic are asking for everyone’s patience as the weekend gets underway. And if you are here to help celebrate, we welcome you to our wonderful town and ask that if drinking, you ensure you have a sober driver who will take care of you and your whanau. Our emergency services cover a large geographical area and the need for them is high at any time. To help them do their job well as we celebrate this great occasion – we need everyone to be responsible.
