30 April 2018

Excavation has begun at Makaraka Cemetery to dig up approximately 90 headstones buried there more than 35 years ago.

The project has been led by Council and the Friends of Makaraka Cemetery Trust, who have long campaigned to have the headstones, buried by the former Cook County Council, dug up and restored.

Council has worked with the Trust, iwi groups Te Aitanga a Mahaki and Rongowhakaata and Heritage New Zealand to ensure their requirements are met during the excavation process.

The relatives of headstone owners have given consent to the Trust to uplift the headstones on their behalf.

Relatives were given the option to either have the headstone removed and potentially included as part of a proposed memorial, or for the headstone to be removed and placed back on their original site at the cemetery. Of those involved in the project, 68 relatives opted for the proposed memorial and eight chose for the headstones to be returned to their original site, depending on their condition.

None wanted the headstones left in the trench.

There are ten headstones without relative consent, as no living relatives could be found or contact with a relative was unsuccessful.

Those ten headstones will be held in secure storage managed by Council.

ENDS

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