Ngai Tahu eyes farm

Ngai Tahu is considering buying the former Tara Hills high country research farm at Omarama from AgResearch.

AgResearch chief financial officer Geoff Balme said the future of three other farms owned by the Crown Research Institute was also under consideration as it looked to fund the purchase of Canterbury research company Canesis.

The South Island tribe has 30 days to consider the purchase of the 3341ha farm under terms of its Treaty of Waitangi settlement with the Government.

A Ngai Tahu spokeswoman said it was considering its options and would make a decision later next month. If it declined, then the property would be put on the open market, but if it decided to buy it, Balme said the purchase would be a commercial transaction.

Tara Hills was run down when bought in 1948 by the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council to demonstrate revegetation and land rehabilitation techniques to farmers. A review last year identified it, Winchmore in mid-Canterbury and Flock House and Aorangi in Manawatu as surplus properties.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES