Funding for a solar farm at Te Karaka will keep critical services running during extreme weather events and provide long term economic benefits for the community. The solar farm project is one of five pilot projects receiving funding for Māori-led climate action as part of the Māori Climate Platform.
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts met Te Karaka locals at the site on 14 August where the solar farm will be developed. Like many communities, Te Karaka is under threat from extreme weather events as part of a changing climate.
During Cyclone Gabrielle, about 500 residents endured sheltering on a hillside for over 27 hours without food, communication or support as power lines were down.
Mr Watts said the solar farm will power up to 200 homes and essential services.
“These include Te Karaka Area School, the Police base, the Waikohu Health Centre, the volunteer fire service, the general store/petrol station and the main elderly housing area. The marae planning managed retreat will also be able to connect to the system in the future,” Mr Watts says.
The solar farm is a co-funded project with contributions from the Māori Climate Platform and Toitu Tairāwhiti Builtsmart Ltd which is owned by the four iwi of Tairāwhiti including Te Aitanga a Māahaki of the Te Karaka region.
The community will have their own power supply if the main grid is down, and power storage systems will provide further backup to keep essential services running. Economic benefits include job creation from the solar farm construction and reduced future energy costs.
Pehimana Brown, Chair of Te Aitanga a Māhaki says the solar farm project along with government investment in other resilience projects will give the Te Karaka community greater peace of mind going into the future.
The Māori Climate Platform has been established to support Māori communities to lead initiatives in climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience and is administered by the Ministry for the Environment.
Climate change impacts Māori communities disproportionately. Marama Royal, Chair of Pou Take Āhuarangi, National Iwi Chairs Forum, says Māori communities are already experiencing the serious impacts of climate change — coastal inundation, flooding, and the disruption of key infrastructure.
“The Māori Climate Platform is enabling whānau to access funding and tools to respond. Through the National Iwi Chairs Forum, Pou Take Āhuarangi has supported iwi, hapū and whānau to lead local adaptation efforts grounded in their own knowledge and priorities. This work is about safeguarding our communities and ensuring our people are equipped to make informed, long-term decisions about their whenua, assets and futures.”
Around $9 million of additional funding will be distributed over the coming months to support further Māori-led climate initiatives.
The first pilot project funded the upgrade of a water reticulation system for a marae in Northland. The other newly funded pilots are a: