Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua were delighted to attend the opening of new tech and innovation hub Te Au Pūngao in Wairau last week, along with Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau and dignitaries from local and central government.

Pouwhakahaere Shane Graham explained the meaning of the name Te Au Pūngao, which had been gifted  on behalf of all iwi represented in Te Tauihu: Te Au which translates to a stream or current, and Pūngao which was vibrant energy.

It is this flow which will help carry our rohe forward with new ideas, innovations, collaborations and experiments, he said.

The co-working space gives innovation and startups in Marlborough a home as well as a point of reference for entrepreneurs to collaborate and build business. The hub is based on the top floor of the former library, on the corner of Arthur and Seymour streets.

Supported by the Government’s Kānoa fund and the Marlborough District Council facilities including a co-working space, a prototyping room for product development and shared meeting rooms.