The 79 hectare farm in Studholme Street was once part of a bigger block owned by Thomas Morrin, the forefather of the town that went on to bear his name.
But Morrinsville is set to expand considerably as a result of major zoning changes.
And with the farm now zoned as 41ha of residential and 38ha of rural residential suitable for lifestyle blocks it is most likely it will be subdivided, Fraser-Jones says.
“With the populations of many Waikato towns growing as residents from Hamilton move out of the city but not out of the province, towns like Cambridge, Matamata and Morrinsville have all seen their catchments increase.
“That has subsequently placed demands on the limited housing stock in those towns.
“However, for the most part, urban expansion in Waikato’s smaller towns has been piecemeal with just a few houses being added here and there because of respective zoning constraints.
“The rezoning of Studholme Street is Matamata-Piako District Council’s direct response to alleviating housing pressure in the town.
“The obvious appeal of this farm for large-scale residential subdivision developers is firstly its gentle rolling contour, which would make for easy residential subdivision and laying down of utilities and infrastructure.”
Multiple new access roads could be created by extending streets that end at the farm boundary.
The farm on Morrinsville’s northern fringe is run by a 50:50 sharemilker with 252 cows.
Continuing the sharemilking partnership on the farm would provide holding income while any large-scale redevelopment plans were drafted and submitted for council consent, he said.
And the council’s existing-use policy allows the dairying operation to continue.
Infrastructure includes a 20-aside herringbone milking shed, a modest three-bedroom home let as part of the sharemilking contract, a six-bay implement shed and a five-bay implement shed.
Water from a bore is pressure-fed through alkathene pipes around 40 paddocks. Effluent is stored in two clay-lined ponds.
The farm is for sale by tender closing on February 28.
