May 05, 2015
Pine partnership pays off for hapu, council
A thirty-year joint venture between the former Rodney Council and a hapu of Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara to develop unproductive land has delivered a healthy return for the parties.
The 200 hectare pine crop in the Araparera Forest Joint Venture is being harvested, with 96,000 tonnes of timber produced.
Auckland councilor Penny Webster, a former Rodney mayor, says the council’s share of the profit is about $2.44 million plus interest.
She says it will be spent on roads within the northern riding of the former Rodney district, which was subject to a special rate to fund the project.
She says an additional benefit was the development of some excellent relationships between council and the local hapu and iwi.
The hapu is considering future land uses and may replant the land with a variety of trees once profits have been distributed.
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