Te Henga/Bethells Beach. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro Te Kawerau ā Maki have been without a formal marae and papakāinga since the mid-20th century when their last remaining land at Te Henga were transferred. The iwi has been searching for a piece of land for a marae since the early 1990s and negotiations over its transfer have been ongoing since 2007 when the former Waitākere city council acquired the land. Agreement over the acquisition was reached between Te Kawerau ā Maki, Auckland Council and a member of the original settler Bethells family. "The securing of land at Te Henga for a new kāinga whakahirahira marks a significant milestone for the future of the iwi and a return to our ancestral papakāinga", says Te Kawerau ā Maki chair Te Warena Taua.