Hāwera’s New Cultural Centre
Construction of Te Ramanui o Ruaputahanga, South Taranaki’s new library, arts and culture centre is scheduled to begin this month.
As part of its 2015 – 2015 Long Term Plan the Council decided to build a new civic facility which would include a bigger library (including meeting rooms, computer suite and multi-use spaces), public toilets, art gallery, café, i-SITE visitor centre and bus stop.
This new Library, Culture and Arts Centre (named Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga) will be the key anchor project in the Hāwera Town Centre Upgrade. It will efficiently combine a number of facilities onto one site, providing people with a wide-range of services, information, cultural and educational resources right in the heart of Hāwera, bringing much needed foot traffic and visitors to the town centre. But it won’t only be a community hub, it will also be a catalyst for driving change which will create new vibrancy, economic stimulus and improved connectivity for both the South Taranaki community and for visitors to the district.
The cost of this development is estimated to be $8 million. The Council has agreed to contribute up to $4.8 million to the facility with the rest coming from external grants and sponsorship. To date almost $3 million has been raised externally, mainly thanks to a generous grant of $2.8 million from the TSB Community Trust.
Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga means the beacon or signal fire of Ruapūtahanga, a famous Taranaki Māori ancestress. Ruapūtahanga would light the beacon as a signal for Iwi to meet so they could talk, share ideas and knowledge. We think the name perfectly symbolises the new centre’s purpose as a place for the community to meet in order to share information and gain knowledge.
Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga will be located on the corner of Regent and High Streets, Hāwera.
More information about the project here
Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga will be an extremely valuable asset for the community of Hāwera, just one of many upgrades planned for the city centre. Learn more about building your new home in Hāwera and making Longview your place learn more about sections available or house and land packages available.