South Wairarapa’s Māori Partnership Committee is giving community-led Matariki events a spark of support with grants from its latest funding round this month.  

Aotearoa New Zealand marks the fifth consecutive year of Matariki as a public holiday on Friday 10 July 2026. South Wairarapa’s Māori Partnership Committee is proud to support vibrant events that bring communities together for Matariki throughout the month of July.  

Gillies Baker, of Papawai Marae and Chair of the Māori Partnership Committee, sees a bright future for Matariki in the district with night sky events and educational programmes, environmental restoration activities and bilingual communications. 

“Matariki celebrations could develop into a multi-day place-based festival led by Rangitāne and Kahungunu who shape the kaupapa with place-based kōrero, connected to hapū and iwi pūrākau,” Baker says.   
 

Māori Partnership Committee funding June 2026 

Community group	Project	Amount granted
Pae tū Mōkai o Tauira	Computer, printer and school group environment sessions	$9,156.00
Featherston Matariki Events Committee	Featherston Matariki Festival	$1,500.00
Fareham Journey	Community Blessing and open day	$1,000.00
Kahutara School	Kapa Haka Tutoring Programme	$3,000.00
South Wairarapa Workingmen’s Club	Matariki event at the club	$800.00
SMAC Gym Featherston	NZ National Black Gloves hosted in Featherston	$5,000.00
Papawai Marae	Purchase of bedding, cutlery and garden maintenance items	$4,300.00
Hau Ariki Marae	Essential infrastructure upgrades	$3,707.00
Total		$28,463.00

 
“The Matariki events in this funding round are reflective of our guiding values and our whakapapa. All of these applications – and the other community-led initiatives – sit really well with our pou and give expression to manaakitanga and community growth,” says Council Pou Māori Advisor Narida Hooper. 

The first official Matariki public holiday was held on Friday 24 June 2022.