Site blessed for Te Puna Hall

Thursday 17 January

A site blessing took place this week on the land where the new Te Puna Memorial Hall is to be built later this year.

Members of the Hall Committee, Pirirakau Hapu, Te Puna Heartlands, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and New Zealand Transport Agency gathered for the on-site blessing by Pirirakau Kaumatua Tame Kuka. The occasion marked the erection of the fence around the site. A larger blessing is planned for when construction begins.

The new hall is located on Te Puna Road, near the BP Service Station is expected to start in May. The former Te Puna Memorial Hall was built in 1922 in memory of the 14 Te Puna men who died on active service in World War One. The old hall was demolished in 2016 to make way for the new Te Puna Road/SH2 roundabout.