Listen Now: 
Bay of Plenty iwi Ngati Whakahemo is pushing on with a bid to buy a 400 hectare Landcorp dairy farm at Pukehina.
The land had been earmarked for a settlement with Ngati Makino, but removed because the state owned enterprise didn’t want to sell.
Lawyer Willie Te Aho says Landcorp has since changes its mind, and sought tenders before Christmas.
He says Ngati Whakehemo considers the block, which is near its marae and existing farm, is part of its ancestral estate, so it asked the ministers of treaty settlements, finance and state owned enterprises step in.
" We were able to stop that sale and engage with Landcorp on a commercial arrangement. There are other iwi that have interests that are in that space too. We're keen to show a great example of when iwi want land, they're prepared to buy that land and we need to have the opportunity made " he says.
Willie Te Aho says Ngati Whakahemo is meeting with Ngati Makino later this month to discuss whether they should mount a joint bid for the property, which could cost more than $10 million.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH WILLIE TE AHO CLICK ON THE LINK
http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=MTUzODM=
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