November 25, 2013
Heavy hitters in Hauraki dairy venture
Five Hauraki iwi have asked former Maori affairs minister and dairy farmer John Luxton to chair its new farming business.
The iwi, Ngati Maru, Ngati Paoa, Ngati Tamatera, Ngati Tara Tokanui and Te Patukirikiri, have bought the Pouarua Dairy Complex near Ngatea from Landcorp, giving them the largest dairy operation on the Hauraki Plains.
They paid for the 2200 hectare property with a $53 million advance on their historic treaty settlement.
The other board members are lawyer and Hauraki Collective chair Paul Majurey, fellow Hauraki iwi member John McEnteer, and Rick Braddock, who also sits on the boards of Ngai Tahu Property, CNI Iwi Holdings, Ngati Whare Holdings and Pengxin New Zealand Farm Group.
Mr Majurey says recovering land is a major aim of the settlement, because raupatu or confiscation and predatory Crown land acquisition policies left Hauraki with only 2.5 percent of its land.
The acquisition means Hauraki can start getting commercial returns 12 to 18 months ahead of the expected passing of their settlement legislation.
Landcorp will continue to manage the eight dairy units on a sharemilking basis for the next five seasons.
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