Kerikeri already makes good use of its Māori heritage and now the Bay of Islands centre will become the first bilingual town in the Far North after an agreement between the Far North District Council and hapū.

The council and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia on behalf of the hapū signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at last Thursday’s full council meeting.

The MoU will begin a “Reorua” strategy, Kahika/Mayor Moko Tepania said.

A working group will be established to develop more spaces, places and opportunities in Kerikeri where te reo Māori is seen, heard and celebrated alongside the English language.

Kerikeri Business Association chairwoman Sarah Curtis says the town and its business could gain from the initiative.

Kipa Munro and Nora Rameka, representing Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia on behalf of the hapū, signed the agreement alongside Tepania and Janice Smith, FNDC Acting CEO. Heartfelt waiata filled the council chambers before and after the signing.

Speaking on behalf of the Ngāti Rēhia hapū, kaumatua Munro said he had been working to bring the initiative to the Far North for five years.

“It starts here and I acknowledge the strength and courage of the council in joining the initiative, which will strengthen both languages,” Munro said.

Tepania was “overjoyed” by the agreement but said that buy-in from the local community, including businesses, schools, community boards and community groups would be key to making it a success.

“I am so proud to share this space with you all and look forward to seeing where we can take this. If we can do it in Kerikeri, we can do it across the district,” he said.

The working group will consist of two representatives from Ngāti Rēhia and two council staff, with others included to support discussions and initiatives as required. The working group will liaise with local marae and report back to the council’s strategic leadership team and elected members on progress.

The “Reorua” strategy has already been rolled out in Rotorua and Ōtaki and is a Department of Internal Affairs initiative.

Curtis said the business association was not aware of the initiative ahead of the announcement from the council.

But she hopes it means an open and collaborative effort between the parties who will be involved in the working group to unite Kerikeri in a way to have comprehensive discussions around what opportunities this provides for Kerikeri.

‘’Education and communication will be a critical part of implementing this successfully,’’ she said.

‘’I think that collaboration between our community is always something that will provide opportunities for our business community.’’

Curtis said until the association sees some more details about what the announcement will bring in reality, it’s hard to know at this stage exactly how local businesses can support the kaupapa.

‘’As a start, I hope it creates a forum where we can have open discussion around what our town needs in this space and how we can work together to unite our town – all the while educating and communicating this to our town,’’ she said.

‘’We do have a few businesses in Kerikeri who are already embracing te reo Māori in their businesses with their own initiatives, so it would be great to see this further supported.’’