About

A full infrastructure renewal of a 22-hectare Taranaki papakāinga, new three-waters networks, roads, power and fibre, delivered on the community's own terms.

Parihaka

Project Lead

Jo Lee

Client

Parihaka Papakāinga Trust

Services

Strategy Management

Location

Taranaki

Sectors

Water Transport

Status

Completed 2026

Parihaka, the historic papakāinga in Taranaki, sits on 22 hectares of Māori Reservation land, home to three marae and around thirty whare. For decades its infrastructure held it back: an unregistered water supply, ageing wastewater and no stormwater management. Because Reservation land is non-rated, standard council investment was ruled out, and the renewal was funded directly by the Crown and philanthropic sources.

The project renewed the whole foundation, new three-waters networks, a decentralised wastewater system that opens the way for future development, power, fibre and upgraded roads, fully reticulated across the papakāinga.

Procured on Parihaka's terms

RCP provided project management across design, consenting, procurement and construction. Recognising the archaeological, environmental and cultural context, RCP built a bespoke procurement strategy that sought a delivery partner able to work within Ngā Tikanga o Parihaka, chosen as much for that as for technical capability. More than 70 percent of the work went to Māori-owned businesses.

Cultural and archaeological protocols ran through delivery, with earthworks monitored by trained Parihaka uri and whānau alongside archaeologists, under an Archaeological Authority from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. The renewed papakāinga is built to carry the growth of the community and its three marae, protecting whenua, awa and taonga while building local capability and opportunity.