Ngai Tahu seems to have a change of heart on the issue of dairy development as they plan a three farm trial into the dairy sector.
The iwi aim to be a substantial leader in sustainable dairy practices and plan to convert some of their forestry assets into dairying.
In the past they have been vocal objectors to dairy proposals in the MacKenzie Basin and Upper Waitaki but appear to have different ideas with their own dairy ambitions.
They are working with Lincoln University to find the correct dairy model for their first dairying development on ex forestry land at Eyrewell.
Substantial South Island landowner Ngai Tahu is eyeing up the booming dairying sector. The board of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu (Tront) has approved a proposal to trial three dairy farms, with milk production to begin as early as next year. The iwi's property arm, Ngai Tahu Property, put forward the dairying proposal as the best economic use for much of its land portfolio reports The ODT.
Ngai Tahu Property chief executive Tony Sewell told the iwi magazine, Te Karaka: "We are a massive land holder in Canterbury and economically the highest and best uses for this land is to convert it to some form of agricultural use." "At this point in time, in economic terms, dairying far outweighs any other agricultural use but that doesn't mean long term things won't change."
While it had objected to dairy farm operations in the past, notably those proposed for the Mackenzie Basin and Upper Waitaki, the iwi was prepared to take "ownership positions and leadership positions" in regards to its own dairying and water management operations, he said.
2 Comments
Another one or two even three – unless one weekly food consumption of an adult fits into a shoebox – where are we going here – two NZcows per Kiwi - 8 millions – the new green/ clean tourist attraction “Fart yodelling” and “Cowpat Pizzas” – my God what an economy ?????????
Ohh - I just read sustainable – what a shame no “Fart yodelling” and “Cowpat Pizza” then - ha - this is grazy ??????????
The high potential, purest NZwater turned into the dirtiest. Another classical example of unstructured, unbalanced economy - just bloody muddling along.
A couple of things preclude large-scale dairy conversion on Ngai Tahu land; access to already over-allocated water rights (which is one of the reasons that they have been objecting to other dairy conversions) and exemption from the ETS de-afforestation tax on the grounds that the legislation didn't exist when they negotiated compensation with the Crown.
My personal opinion is that intensive dairying is not an appropriate land use on the Canterbury Plains, however the decision-makers in Environment Canterbury at the time didn't have a problem with it.
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