Photosensitizers

An assumption made by the planners of the PBCC was that community-initiated cultural tourism, successful as an enterprise strategy in homeland nations (where tourism is central to GDP), should transfer readily to the market economy of New Zealand as a contributor to improved social and economic well-being. Further that domestic and international tourism audiences and participation from regional residents‘ would be achievable. As well, that tourism models from the island homelands of successful tourism industries were both transferable and viable in the mainstream New Zealand context. Thus, tourism products and services clustered around and within a purpose-built tourism attraction and business incubator, were envisaged as ‗destination‘ solutions to socio-economic marginality for diasporan Pacific communities in New Zealand that would be suited to mainstream New Zealand markets. Also, it was hoped that this attraction (Figure 3-2) might form the cultural backbone of tourism in the Waitakere region which currently boasts

viticulture, ecotourism and natural attractions such as the Waitakere Ranges, extensive forests, canyons and remote, wild surf and black sand beaches.

The vision for the PBCC (Figure 3-2) was for an experiential, immersive environment, evocative of the tropical Pacific. Here, communally operated ‗Living Villages‘, one for each of Pacific Island ethnicities resident in Waitakere, would preserve and transmit their language, culture and heritage. New enterprise ideas could be tested out, supported by a common core of services (marketing, accounting, legal advisors, retail) and infrastructure such as display, retail, food court, workshops, etc. The nine living villages were to be set in tropical landscapes, surrounded by water and intended to immerse visitors in an authentic, evocative experience of life in the Pacific Islands. Products envisaged were multimedia theatres, interactive exhibitions, master-craft workshops, cultural festivals, open air concerts, themed restaurants, food courts, and shopping concourses for fresh foods, arts retail and a resource library (Arrow International, 2002). It was intended to appeal to local Auckland, international visitors and domestic NZ tourists and day-trippers from outside the Auckland region. Pacific Island communities were envisaged as owners, managers, staff, visitors and users of the complex.

Figure 3-2 Vision – Pacific Tourism Attraction and Business Incubator

(Arrow International, 2002 – J.Cave - Arrow Consulting)²

2This is an official confirmation, permission and authorisation from the Waitakere Pacific Board Inc that Jenny Cave has full rights and privileges to use, reproduce, present, represent

The research effort that underpinned the concept development revealed ambivalence for this Vision amongst mainstream consumers for the project (Cave et al., 2003).

Consequently a staged approach was recommended for development, starting with a capital investment of $4.0 million dollars to create an attraction of sufficient imaginative design and quality to give sustainable return (assuming on-going but low level of public funds). Further, it was considered necessary to raise a positive profile of the Pacific Island people in Waitakere and to create market interest in Pacific cultural product via an ‗expanded Pasifika‘ festival and craft demonstrations before construction was embarked upon. Site location and proximity to water were thought to be critical success factors for the project (Arrow International, 2002). The Vision was forecast to cost between $ 4-9 million but conceived as operating on a commercial basis.

While funding for the large project was not forthcoming, phased development of a smaller concept has since taken place, but within a wider community arts precinct development. These initiatives were supported by the Waitakere City Council (WCC) and by extensive volunteer contributions by Pacific communities to ensure the presence of each within the plans. WCC further assisted by building a small fale, designating two large, metal Nissan sheds and establishing a WCC Arts Coordinator position. The smaller concept includes an annual Waitakere Pasifika Arts Festival,

‗The Mamas‘ group of expert weaver demonstrators, school visits to the site to learn cultural arts and a monthly cultural market (agreed in 2002). In 2005 a new governance structure was set up to guide the construction of a version of the Waitakere Pacific Arts Centre, focussed on arts and culture rather than enterprise. At present, development and operation of the PBCC are resourced by WCC in the form of a part-time staff person and a small amount of operating funds (July 2009).

Nonetheless the PBCC (Vision) still remains in WCC long-term planning documents, although its realisation may take a very different form in the future.

Returning to the non-instrument navigation metaphor and the ‗sailing course‘

specified in Figure 1-4 (Chapter 1), the PBCC could be thought of as the Waitakere Pacific community enterprise journey‘s ‗Destination‘ in nascent form, comprising not one, but several Pacific cultural enterprises of different size, scale and intent. One enterprise could be thought of as the tourism attraction and business incubator, encompassing each of the Pacific ethnic communities under one ‗roof‘, made up of many enterprises, some of which might be tourism or hospitality products and services but others might be touristic (supporting or adding value to tourism). Other enterprises at the ‗Destination‘ may have no direct link to tourism but are dedicated and such like the images in her possession and contained in any other mediums available to her and in her possession, on the 'Pacific business and cultural centre' concept/plan. Taha Fasi, Chairperson, Waitakere Pacific Board Inc.

to preserving Pacific cultural values, knowledge and resources. Still other enterprises might be social services aimed at building and retaining language and social cohesion but nonetheless integrated into the holistic, collaborative collectivism of Pacific life.

The WPB was also cognisant of the need to establish a wider context of established and durable support of individual and collective initiatives and projects which would complement, surround and feed into the PBCC. Thus, following the non-instrument navigation analogy, the ‗destination‘ for Waitakere‘s Pacific diaspora is not one but several enterprises, some of which might be tourism – a ‗screen of islands‘.

Similarly, the research effort which formed an integral part of the conception of the PBCC and forms the base for this dissertation may be a means to support endeavours to reach the ‗screen‘.

To this point in the research journey, the canoes have been assembled, one for each island nation in Waitakere. This then provides the practical context for this research, sketching out the scope of the research and points to some of the issues or sailing conditions for the voyage. These are: the presence of several distinct ethnicities, questioning whether tourism can be a viable means of economic redress in a new homeland context and proportionately small numbers of Pacific entrepreneurs and therefore limited enterprise capacity in the communities. Other issues are low levels of education, participation in the service and manufacturing work force, yet the number of tertiary-educated youth is increasing, especially amongst New Zealand-born Pacific. Additionally the Pacific population is geographically dispersed but highly mobile, and the church, indigeneity and motility within diasporan circuits of goods, people and ideas are centrally important.

This section complements Chapter 2, the theoretical context (navigational principles).

We should now look at the composition of the crew.