It’s a dream that is building momentum with the operation a finalist in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy.
Anne-Marie Broughton was working for the Maori Trustee in 2007 when three Te Rua o Te Moko lease blocks came up for renewal. Normally they would have been re-advertised for lease with demand being strong.
But Broughton knew there was a nearby Maori freehold block and noticed an Office of Treaty Settlements (OTS) block in the middle that joined them all together. And it had an operating dairy on it.
“Te Rua o Te Moko is about seeing an opportunity to act on our dream, driving the opportunity, and making do, doing it, and being passionate, determined and very resilient,” she said.
There were hurdles that needed to be overcome, such as gaining commitment from the landowners, accessing resources and locking down the OTS lease block. An early feasibility assessment by Taranaki’s largest farming enterprise and Maori incorporation, Parininihi ki Waitotara (PKW), was organised.
“Everyone quickly saw the possibilities and positive benefits of joining together, getting back control of our whenua (land), building a business and creating work and training opportunities for our people. So we had a concept but we needed proof that the concept would work,” Broughton said.
“The next step was a crucial one that is often a barrier to Maori land development – getting resources to do a professional scoping and feasibility study.”
Three of the four trusts involved could not afford to contribute to the study, but funding was gained from the Maori Trustee and farm consultant Rob Gollan was hired. The work showed that despite the poor state of the infrastructure, milking off the five blocks was a definite possibility.
The limiting factor was the dairy, an old 28-bail rotary that was only milking 220 cows, while at least 500 cows could be run on the land.
The lowest cost, lowest risk route to entry was to engage a 50:50 sharemilker and so trustees and owners were called to a series of hui.
“Some could see the dream immediately, some took a little longer, some wanted to take the easier and safer path and lease the blocks again. Some were scared it wouldn’t work which was understandable because two people had tried to farm in the 1980s and it was a costly failure.”
Michael and Ruth Prankerd – celebrating success.
