11. Question No. 11—Arts Culture and HeritageARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) to the Associate Minister for Arts Culture and HeritageQuestion No. 11—Arts Culture and Heritage11. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) to the Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage: What reports has she seen about how Kiwis around Aotearoa marked Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki 2023?Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage): Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki 2023 the first distinctly New Zealand public holiday was celebrated last Friday for the second time and it was exciting to see how people of all backgrounds embraced it and got involved with their local community. This year's theme was Matariki Kāinga Hokia - Matariki calls you home" and this could be clearly seen from the events organised by local marae hapū and iwi family fun gatherings organised by councils and individual whānau and family coming together. As the Minister I was honoured to attend the live nationally broadcasted traditional hautapu ceremony at Mount Ngongotahā in Rotorua alongside my colleague the Hon Peeni Henare. The broadcast also featured pre-recorded events from around the country showcasing other tribal variations such as puanga. I was hugely appreciative of the efforts of Ngāti Whakauē made to host us for the hautapu. They shared their aroha for Matariki with all New Zealanders and helped to increase awareness and education on its significance. As I said on Friday when I think about Matariki it's not necessarily about following rules or regimented traditions but rather about embracing the values and principles of Matariki: remembrance celebrating the present and looking to the future. Those values can be as simple and universal as aroha and te taiao appreciating the people and respecting our environment.Arena Williams: What reports has she seen about the success of the Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund for 2023?Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME: Celebrations across Aotearoa have been significantly enhanced through over $3 million of the Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund which saw 120 successful applicants receive funding to host events and wānanga in 2023. The fund is inclusive of all unique iwi variations of Matariki that exist such as puanga and is inclusive of different iwi having distinct approaches to calculating and acknowledging the timing of the Māori New Year. For 2023 the contestable funding was designed to support Māori communities in leading and delivering Te Kāhui o Matariki - focused initiatives that regenerate mātauranga Matariki in line with the celebration of the public holiday. I have been advised that there were many thoughtful and high-quality applications which demonstrated the deep aroha for Matariki and so much so that the fund was heavily oversubscribed—receiving a total of 321 applications. This is a real sign of the widespread desire to continue to tautoko and celebrate the public holiday.Arena Williams: What evidence has she seen of positive impact of Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki as a public holiday for Aotearoa?Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME: While many of us already have Matariki traditions through Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki this has been shared and embraced right across the country. In 2022 it is estimated that the benefit of Matariki to domestic tourism was up to $160 million and we anticipate it being similar in 2023. As Kiwis we're out and about across the motu visiting whānau and friends and visiting other rohe—certainly what I saw in Rotorua. The indications from initial social media monitoring are that people were keen to find out about Matariki events near them with the event pages on matariki.com increasing in views from 6621 in 2022 to 10375 in 2023 for the same period and there were over 15000 more overall visits or clicks to the website in June and July compared to the same period last year.Arena Williams: How is the Government supporting Matariki in the years ahead?Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME: As part of Budget 2023 this Government announced a further investment of $18 million over four years to build on the initial momentum from the inaugural public holiday and to see expanded public awareness and understanding of Matariki. We know that cultural identity has benefits for all New Zealanders as a way of coming together celebrating our rich history culture language practices and ceremonies and as noted by Dr Rangi Mātāmua Chief Adviser - Mātauranga Matariki traditions don't just happen; they need commitment and participation to thrive. I'm proud to be part of a Government that is demonstrating that necessary commitment and is always looking to create new ways to uplift and enhance wellbeing for all. Mānawatia a Matariki!"