1940 - Agreement with Borough reached

In 1903 Ngati Awa generated the first electricity at the Flax Mill.

While Wairaka was included in the electricity licence granted to the Whakatāne Borough in 1921, the land itself was under the Whakatāne County Council, and was in fact part of the Power Boards area.

Both parties agreed in 1940 that the Borough would supply electricity to both the meeting house and the whare as well as to 11 of the 17 residents at the pāh.