Waipā Discovery Centre is Te Ara Wai
30 October 2018
The Waipā Discovery Centre will now be known as Te Ara Wai, meaning the path of memories'.
At its meeting today, Council resolved to support the Waipā Discovery Centre Governance Committee decision to name the new centre, Te Ara Wai.
The name was researched and proposed by council's iwi engagement advisor Shane Te Ruki. In a report to the committee, Te Ruki shared the meaning of the name as a reference to where we have come from and where we are going.
The name must resonate with the Waipā district and the story of our land. Te Ara Wai's most direct translation is the path of memories' but it means so much more than that, explained Te Ruki.
Ara is to rise, to be awake to our past and have our eyes open to our future. Wai is representative of the water pathways across much of Waipā, it's also reflective of who we were, who we are and who we will become.
Te Ruki describes the full meaning behind Te Ara Wai in a video released by council today.
The name Te Ara Wai received positive support from Ngā Iwi Tōpu o Waipā, Ngāti Unu and Ngāti Kahu. The project is also endorsed by many Waipā iwi.
The name will be supported by an English by-line that is yet to be decided on.
Planning for Te Ara Wai is well underway, with expressions of interest from architects expected before the end of the year.
Te Ara Wai will sit alongside the Te Awamutu Library and will include, ever-changing exhibition space, new and better space to house and showcase our community's precious and unique collection of taonga, stories that connect to significant locations in our district, a research centre, a hub for our school and education programmes, the Te Awamutu i-SITE, and a community gathering space.
Councillor Vern Wilson voted against the resolution.