Masterplan to futureproof East Coast’s Whāngārā Farms

A 100-year masterplan is being developed for Whāngārā Farms to optimise the whenua into the distant future.

A 100-year “masterplan” is being developed for Whāngārā Farms so future generations can thrive and prosper on the more than 8000ha whenua.

The plan is a collaboration between Whāngārā Farms and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and is being funded by the Māori Agribusiness Climate Programme.

It involves a project team of experts in biodiversity, land use optimisation, livestock management, afforestation, project evaluation, and decision-making, a Whāngārā Farms statement says.

“He Rau Ake Ake, the masterplan, establishes a holistic multi-generational vision centred in taiao [the natural world] for the best possible returns for business in harmony with how all whānau can be better connected to and live prosperously with their whenua.

“The overarching desire is that the 100-year whenua optimisation masterplan sets both a national and international standard for future-proofing for whenua Māori and Māori incorporations,” Whāngārā Farms chief executive Anthony Creswell says.

Others involved in the project are: Jay Whitehead (Matatihi) and Phil Kupenga (Tupuna Pai), evaluation and decision-making; Lachie Grant (LandVision), land use optimisation; Roger MacGibbon (Tonkin and Taylor), biodiversity management; Don Hammond (Hammond Resource Management), afforestation planning; Greg Tattersfield (Farmpro), livestock optimisation.

“The intent of He Rau Ake Ake is to develop a plan that balances and blends each of the disciplines into a collaborative strategy where each of these elements is optimised in harmony with what whānau and shareholders want from the whenua,” the statement said.

Taiao is central to the 100-year process as is hearing from business leaders, community advocates, shareholders, their whānau and residents “to better understand their priorities and concerns in building the roadmap”.

“He Rau Ake Ake will be an official document that sets long-range goals and policies that shape future land use, address community expectations informed by shareholder and whānau input, and take into consideration climate change, taiao, and domestic/global challenges.”

It will also consider the success of recent projects such as the Whāngārā Farms wetlands, tree planting, and native nursery feasibility.

“Alongside this, a focus area of the masterplan process will be forecasting economic opportunities both from existing and new activity such as harakeke [flax] production,” the release said.

Whāngārā Farms business manager Ray Leach said the plan would involve planning methodology that could be shared with and used by other like-minded organisations, enabling regional growth and climate resilience.

A centre piece of He Rau Ake Ake planning will be to uncover, map, and safeguard culturally significant sites throughout the farms

Those sites will be protected for future generations by adapting farm practices.

Whāngārā Farms and MPI expect to move quickly with the plan process.

“The collective studies and findings of the project team will confirm that there is significant economic and environmental benefits to be gained.”

• Whāngārā Farms is a partnership of three Māori Incorporations-  Whāngārā B5, Pakarae A and other blocks, and Tapuwae  Whitiwhiti . The total farming area is 8500ha and runs 80,000 stock units of sheep and beef.