Middlemarch deer farm conversion nears finishing post

The last of an estimated 10,000 posts will be put up in the coming weeks on what will be one of the country's largest deer farms, being converted for that purpose near Middlemarch.

The first deer are already on the 1750ha Wandle Deer Farm and contractors have started cultivating 400ha of river flats to be regrassed - 120ha of it in lucerne.

About 330ha will be irrigated.

Peter Aitken, who is overseeing the $5 million project for New Zealand Deer Farms, said the company planned to run 16,000 stock units, of which 1000 would be cattle and the rest mainly red breeding hinds and finishing deer.

A beef breeding cow represents 5.5 stock units, and a breeding hind, 1.9 stock units.

Prominent Dunedin businessman Howard Paterson is a director and shareholder of the company.

In 1997, Paterson talked of seeking public investment in the world's largest deer farm, with 31,500 hinds spread over 11 properties totalling 11,600ha, but later decided against it.

The cattle and deer for the Wandle farm will be from New Zealand Deer Farms' six other properties.

Aitken said it could take two to three years before it was fully stocked with about 4000 breeding hinds and 3700 weaners.

In all, 75km of fencing has been built and 18km of water pipe installed.

At any one time, 18 to 19 people have been working on the property.

Aitken hoped the water scheme, fencing and construction of the 30m by 40m deer shed would be finished early next month.

The irrigation scheme was scheduled for completion by early December and the regrassing by next autumn.

New Zealand Deer Farms' largest property is Hakataramea Station, in the Hakataramea Valley.

It has other properties at Sunnydowns, Otekaieke in North Otago, Burwood Station, Te Anau, Glen Echo, Driffield, Mossburn, and Motu Station, in Western Southland.

Hakataramea Station carries 30,000 stock units.

- NZPA