Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust - represented by trustees Carla Martin and Morris Pita, farm worker Kieran Wetere-Hepi, farm manager Matt Payne and administrator Tori Norman - is achieving great things on its Whangaruru block.
Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust - represented by trustees Carla Martin and Morris Pita, farm worker Kieran Wetere-Hepi, farm manager Matt Payne and administrator Tori Norman - is achieving great things on its Whangaruru block.
The success of Northland farming operation Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust is about so much more than being profitable, it is also about empowering the thousands of descendants of whānau who used to live on the whenua.
The trust, which manages a 1100ha block in Ngaiotonga, Whangaruru, has won the national Māorifarming excellence award, the Ahuwhenua Trophy, which this year recognises the best sheep and beef farmers.
The trust is five years into a project to rejuvenate the coastal hill block, about an hour’s drive north of Whangārei.
For Pita, the success story is having the farm under the trust’s management and run on behalf of the people.
“In many ways, our story is one of disconnection and loss ... We went from a sense of disempowerment to empowerment, from loss to one of excitement about being reunited with our whenua.”
Before World War II, the block was home to numerous Whangaruru whānau, dating back to Ngātiwai’s founding tupuna, Manaia.
In 1952, the land was consolidated into a Māori land development scheme by the Department of Māori Affairs. Departmental failures meant that, by 1961, the farm’s debt was already four times its value.
Responsibility for the land, along with the debt, was transferred back to the people with the creation of Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust in 1988. But within five years, the pressure of debt left the trust with little choice but to lease the land to a third party.
Farm manager Matt Payne has helped Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust build a million-dollar herd.
Pita said the trust finally got back to managing the land in 2020, after nearly 70 years of disconnection.
It wasted no time restoring the whenua, with support from the Provincial Growth Fund, farming consultants AgFirst, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry for Primary Industries and Northland Regional Council.
It removed 60ha of gorse, installed a 40km network of water pipes, put in 57km of fencing and installed new roads.
In June 2020, the trust bought its first herd of 188 steers, growing to a thriving 1200-head bull-fattening operation.
On top of the 360ha commercial farming operation, the land includes 297ha of forestry and 443ha of native bush and wetlands.
The 1100ha block in Ngaiotonga, Whangaruru, is coastal hill country with sheep grazing parts of the farm unsuited to beef, plus 443ha of native bush and wetlands.
Pita said one of the first aims was to fence off the bush and wetlands from stock, then plant natives to help accelerate the recovery.
The response from the land had been almost instant, such as possum-damaged coastal pōhutukawa springing back to life, he said.
The wetlands are home to rare species such as pāteke (brown teal) and mataku (bittern), whose distinctive booming sounds can be heard on the land.
Pita said the trust has already been able to share its success by providing educational grants, supporting the local kura’s kapa haka, supporting Whangaruru rugby and netball clubs, plus projects at local marae and urupā.
It is now looking at other ways to share the economic surpluses, so the benefits can be felt by as many of the descendants as possible.
The trust also wants to lease or buy more blocks as they become available, so it can continue to grow its footprint in Whangaruru and diversify its portfolio.
Nukuhia Hadfield, chair of the Ahuwhenua Trophy management committee said there were two great finalists competing for the trophy this year.
“Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust are indeed worthy winners, and their governance and farm management is outstanding.”
Pita said Northland was a unique and special part of Aotearoa and being able to represent Te Tai Tokerau was a privilege.
“We’ve experienced rapid acceleration of the farm over the last five years: we’re turning it around.”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
