Who are We: The Trustees – Whakāki Resilience Group

Founding and current Chairman/Team Leader

Kevin English

Having lived in Whakaki for some time now and been through two major flooding events, I began thinking about what and how we could do something about the current climate changes we are facing within the Whakaki Community. Cyclone Gabrielle enabled us to begin in earnest, forming a small community group that set about looking after our village, due to the flooding that was happening in Wairoa and the uncertainty of utility services to the wider district, (for us in Whakaki) that was power services, and in a big way Communication with the outside world! So taking a small backward step, my background is Fire Service Volunteer of some 37 years, Ambulance Service as a fulltime EMT on Wairoa Station( since retired) 23 years, a former Qualified Fitter/Welder. During Cyclone Gabrielle I was able to communicate with a couple of people (Whanau that were in the Beehive Bunker), One question that I got asked was, what do we need in the village – we assessed that communication was a problem, the message was passed onto our Whanau in Tatau Tatau o Te Wairoa, and within hours a starlink was delivered to us to set up at the Marae, so that we could establish communication and enable us to put to rest all the misInformation going out to our whanau, not just in New Zealand but from concerned whanau around the World! This was the beginning of Whakaki Resilience Group – It is indeed a pleasure to chair and lead such an amazing group of people – more to come in further stories. Nga Mihi

Ka titiro iho ki te wai horoi a oku tipuna te wai kaukau o Te Rahui
Haruru mai a Ngati Hine ki te tarawhiti e
Ko te waka tapu e rere mai ki Aotearoa ko Takitimu
Ko Whakaki nui a rua te wai u
Ko Whakaki toku Marae
Ko Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairoa te mana ki te mata o papa
Ko te turangawaewae poutokotoko o Hine Tepairu
Tihei mauri ora!
Kia ora! I’m Kahu Walker. One of the Whakaki Resilience Group.
My connection to Te Tairawhiti and in particular my homelands in Whakaki comes from my fathers whakapapa. Through him I belong to the Walker/Waikawa whanau with Hirini and Hinepua Walker being my koroua. I am proud of my strong connection and whakapapa to Whakaki and Te Tairawhiti, a place of significant cultural and historical importance. I have a deep bond with the land, its people, and its traditions. For these reasons I am proud to be part of the Whakaki Resilience Group. I am actively involved in community service as a Justice of the Peace and Issuing Officer.This role further enhances my commitment to upholding justice, fairness, and the well-being of the community.
Motivated by a strong desire to contribute to my homelands I also recognize the
importance of safeguarding the precious resources of our environment and aim to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that Whakaki remains a safe and viable place for all.

Ko Ōrangi te maunga

Ko Tākitimu te waka

Ko Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Rongowhakaata, Rongomaiwahine ngā iwi

Ko Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hinepua, Ngāi Te Ipu ngā hapū

Ko Whakakī te marae

Kei Whakakī au e noho ana

Ko Kemp Lancashire Campbell Solomon taku ingoa.

Born in Wairoa in 1955 and raised in Whakakī to parents Te Huki and Raina Solomon, Kemp is the fourth child and second son of a family of seven. He attended Whakakī Māori School and continued onto secondary schooling at Wairoa College leaving in 1973 to join the NZ Navy. After two years serving which included a 10-month tour to Hawaii and the United States, he left the Navy and completed 5 years at Swifts Freezing Works in Wairoa. In 1980 he joined the NZ Army in the Corp of the NZ Artillery, serving for 40 years. He served in 161 Battery in Papakura, 83 – 86, The School of Artillery 86 – 90 as an Instructor, a second tour to 161 Battery as the Training WO, before the first of two tours to the Military Career Management Branch as a Mission Manager in Joint Force HQ’s, and Career Manager respectively, he served on operational tours to East Timor with the SMART Team, the Sinai with the MFO, and with EUFOR in Bosnia. He finished his time in the military as a Project Manager reviewing and re-writing the NZ Army’s Training Volumes. A very busy and comprehensive military career where he was given the privilege of working with military personnel from other Defence Forces and served in several other countries throughout the world. Of special mention was being part of several Battle Field Commemorative tours including Greece and Crete, El Alamein in Egypt, The Somme in France, and Pusan and Pam Man Jon in South Korea.

During this time, he was very conscious of making sure that his children were aware of their tūrangawaewae and would always return to Whakakī with them and his wife Aroha who also has whakapapa links to Whakakī. Kemp especially acknowledges Aroha; they married three months after he joined the Army and she has been by his side all those years as they celebrate 43 years of marriage as of March 2024.

On his numerous trips back home he was always being brought up to date on what was happening with the lake and its surroundings by his Dad Huki Solomon who was a long-serving Whakakī Lake Trustee and Chairman. He, along with several other stalwarts, were instrumental in returning the original bar opening back to Paaka, as well as the work in establishing a nursery and working towards restoring te mauri o te waiū. Kemp is keen to continue with the restoration work that has been ongoing for over 25 years. He previously served as a Whakakī Lake Trustee from 2006 – 2010 and was newly appointed in 2024.

Furthermore, Kemp is in his second year as a member of the Māori Soldiers Trust Committee that administers the Sir Apirana Ngata Memorial Scholarships Fund. Hereheretau Station (within the Whakakī Catchment) is managed by the Māori Trustee for the benefit of the Māori Soldiers Trust.

After Cyclone Gabrielle, and returning to their home in Whakaki, Kemp was approached to join the Whakaki Resilience Group as a Trustee, and has enjoyed being among a group of likeminded individuals building a resilience hub in the community to help with emergency preparedness and resilience and is instrumental in building and maintaining our health and safety portfolio

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply