The Herald has asked the Niuean Government for further details of its strategy, and has not received a response.<\/p>\n
In his speech, Tagelagi did not go into details about how the property would be used or who \u2013 if anyone \u2013 would live there fulltime.<\/p>\n
The majority of the Niuean population lives in New Zealand. Of the 34,000 Niueans here, 25,500 live in Auckland. Only 1800 live in Niue. Photo \/ Ray White<\/p>\n
\u201cDesigned for modern family living, the home offers multiple living areas, including a dedicated movie room and two master suites, providing an ideal setup for intergenerational families, an au pair or long-term guests,\u201d the home\u2019s listing said.<\/p>\n
Community controversy<\/p>\n
Many in the New Zealand Niuean community believe the site will be used as a new consulate building for the tens of thousands of Niueans living in New Zealand<\/a>.<\/p>\n Diplomatic and consular services have traditionally been dealt with by the High Commission for Niue in Wellington.<\/p>\n Niuean community advocate and writer Zora Feilo said she had seen a mixed bag of opinions but believed the purchase would ultimately be good for Niueans.<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of Pacific Islands have managed to make a place for themselves [in Auckland] but for some reason the Niueans haven\u2019t got that. It\u2019s appropriate we should have a space in M\u0101ngere. It\u2019s very good news.\u201d<\/p>\n Others have taken to social media to express views about the purchase \u2013 many asking how a multimillion-dollar family home was going to benefit them.<\/p>\n \u201cA community hall would\u2019ve been nice for the Niue people in Auckland,\u201d one person wrote.<\/p>\n Pacific community leaders approached by the Herald were reluctant to comment on the purchase. One, who asked to remain anonymous, said: \u201cNiue does not need two houses in New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018For all Niueans\u2019<\/p>\n A staff member at the Niuean High Commissioner\u2019s office in Wellington told the Herald the new Auckland property would be used as a consulate for the Niuean people. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to have a high commission down here and a consulate office up in Auckland to accommodate for all the Niueans that live up there.\u201d<\/p>\n The position of high commissioner for Niue has been vacant since March 2023. Their residence \u2013 on Katherine Ave in Wellington \u2013 has also been vacant, due to structural problems and earthquake compliance issues.<\/p>\n The staffer said it was hoped renovations to the building would be completed by the end of the year \u2013 in time for the announcement of a new high commissioner.<\/p>\n The island nation has an estimated population of just 1800, while the majority of Niueans live away from their motherland, in Aotearoa.<\/p>\nThe M\u0101ngere Bridge home sold for $2.2m, a record $625,000 over its capital value. Photo \/ Ray White<\/p>\n