The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country / Rural Property

Defence lawyer's prime rural land goes up for mortgagee sale

APNZ
26 Mar, 2012 04:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Barry Hart. Photo / Janna Dixon

Barry Hart. Photo / Janna Dixon

Almost 1000 hectares of prime rural real estate owned by entities connected to prominent defence lawyer Barry Hart and his family is up for mortgagee sale.

It is understood ANZ National is selling the land, near Waimauku north of Auckland, but a bank spokesman declined to comment.

Much of the 965ha package is farmland set in rolling hills. It also includes five lifestyle blocks and almost 40ha next to Woodhill Forest with consent for sand extraction.

Mr Hart said he was confident some of the property would be released by the bank and would not go to a mortgagee sale. "I'm still confident we'll save the day."

The property is being sold by international tender by Bayleys, which bills it as an "outstanding offering" only 25km from Auckland's CBD.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The company declined to comment on the vendor and a spokesman said the selling price would depend on what the buyer wanted to do with it.

"We honestly wouldn't know until the tenders close."

The property package includes 460ha known as Renall's Farm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It was previously owned by developer Rick Martin's Cornerstone Group, which had plans for 2300 new homes in the area. The development never went ahead and was opposed by locals, including Mr Hart.

He said the area had a long history of early Maori occupation and several pa sites. "I've spent a lot of my own funds opposing that and I've done a lot to preserve a lot of the wetlands and fence off the native bush."

According to the Bayleys website, a previous owner of Renall's Farm applied to the former Rodney District Council in 2006 for a private plan change that would allow the construction of an "urban village with associated countryside living".

"This private plan change has not proceeded, however this land holding reserves outstanding opportunities for the future, as pressure from Auckland's expansion continues in the years to come," the website said.

Mr Hart has represented high-profile killers, including Antonie Dixon, who attacked two women with a samurai sword and shot a man dead in 2003. The barrister is facing four misconduct charges brought by the Standards Committee of the Law Society, including an allegation that he "grossly overcharged" a client in a criminal case and billed him for $35,000 plus GST.

The hearing was postponed last month when Chief High Court Judge Justice Helen Winkelmann said a key witness for the committee had been appointed a District Court judge. It is understood the witness, an experienced criminal defence lawyer, was to give evidence on what would be an acceptable amount to charge a client.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rural Property

Rural Property

‘Exciting for the country’: Why the rural property market is set for spring

15 May 08:30 PM
Premium
Rural Property

'Past the first hurdle' - Fletcher Living on progress at $500m The Hill

11 May 07:00 PM
Premium
The Country

Two more Hawke’s Bay farms sold to overseas buyers for forestry

04 May 06:00 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rural Property

‘Exciting for the country’: Why the rural property market is set for spring

‘Exciting for the country’: Why the rural property market is set for spring

15 May 08:30 PM

Sponsored content: PGG Wrightson's GM for Real Estate predicts good sales for spring.

Premium
'Past the first hurdle' - Fletcher Living on progress at $500m The Hill

'Past the first hurdle' - Fletcher Living on progress at $500m The Hill

11 May 07:00 PM
Premium
Two more Hawke’s Bay farms sold to overseas buyers for forestry

Two more Hawke’s Bay farms sold to overseas buyers for forestry

04 May 06:00 PM
WorkSafe issues maintenance warning for quad bikes after man killed

WorkSafe issues maintenance warning for quad bikes after man killed

30 Apr 09:59 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP