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One of the most innovative and
progressive Agribusiness in Aotearoa
Today Wairarapa Moana Incorporation is regarded as one of the innovative and progressive Maori incorporations and Corporate Agribusiness in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The Incorporation is owned by over 3,000 descendants of the original owners of Lake Wairarapa.
Contributing factors to this success is strong governance, clear vision, strategy together with defined and benchmarked implementation. All of these are strengthened by key collaborative relationships and working with others, including FoMA Dairy, AgResearch, Technology NZ, Balance Fertilizers, and Dairy New Zealand (previously Dairy Insight and Dexcel) .
During the 1880s as a result of pressure from colonial farmers the Government coerced the owners to handover Lake Wairarapa and a large area of fertile land adjacent to Lake Wairarapa. The owners fought to retain ownership of their land for over 20 years however eventually they reached an arrangement with the government in 1896. The Government made many promises to compensate the owners including the provision for other lands in the Wairarapa.
The Government did not keep their promises and eventually after another 25 years had passed, forced the owners to accept as compensation in 1925, 10,695 hectares of land near Mangakino in South Waikato. This land was isolated, unproductive and predominantly covered in bush and scrub. During this whole time there was never universal acceptance by the owners of these arrangements with the Government.
With very little resources to develop the land it was left untouched until 1948 when Sir Apirana Ngata, as Minister of Native Affairs, started a development scheme to convert the land into forestry and farming. Mangakino township was later established on part of the land when the Government was establishing New Zealand's hydro electricity scheme.
The Government had spent two years occupying the owners land and without their consent and knowledge proceeded to develop the hydro scheme. Eventually significant lands were confiscated under the Public Works Act to enable establishment of the township and the dam system.
A Trust was formed under the Native Affairs Act and was named Pouakani II Trust to operate the farm on behalf of the owners. After many years of pressure from the owners and concerns about the poor management of the Government, management of the Trust was formally handed back to the owners in 1983.
There was still approximately 6500 hectares of scrub and bush to be developed and an arrangement was reached with Carter Holt Harvey Forestry Group to lease the land for 3 rotations of forestry plantings. The forestry development was managed by a separate entity known as Mangakino Township Incorporation on behalf of the owners.
With the approval of the 3000 shareholders of Pouakani II Trust and Mangakino Township Incorporation, the two entities were amalgamated in July 2002 and Wairarapa Moana Incorporation was formed. The core purpose of the organisation is to manage and grow the assets of the Incorporation and to pay adequate dividends to its shareholders. Another key driver is the need to protect and enhance the land asset with no adverse impact on the environment or succeeding generations enjoying benefits from their assets.
The shareholders agreed that the social development activities were separate from the commercial activities and would be managed by the Wairarapa Moana Trust. Funds from the Incorporation are allocated annually to the Trust and are used to provide cultural, social and educational scholarships and marae grants.
A new strategy to diversify the incorporation’s assets and add value to its current portfolio has now been developed and will look to value added farming activities . From its inauspicious beginnings Wairarapa Moana Incorporation now manages one of New Zealand’s largest farming operations with 2870ha in dairying, 1325 ha in sheep and beef and the remaining 6500ha in forestry. The Incorporation has total assets of approximately $152million.
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