Ngāi Tahu Farming chosen to operate country's largest farm, Molesworth Station

RNZ

Ngāi Tahu Farming has been chosen by the Department of Conservation to operate the country's largest farm.

Molesworth Station, an iconic 180-thousand hectare high country farm that spanned Marlborough and North Canterbury, was run as a cattle farm by state-owned Pāmu Landcorp.

The area, known formally as the Rangitahi/Molesworth Recreation Reserve, covers 180,000 hectares of land owned by the Crown and administered by the Department of Conservation (DOC) .

DOC announced on Friday afternoon it would invite Ngāi Tahu Farming - a subsidiary of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Group - to apply for a concession to manage the land.

Four other bids, including one by former farm manager Jim Ward, were unsuccessful.

DOC deputy director-general regional operations Henry Weston said farming would remain the core commercial activity at Molesworth but it was also a nationally important drylands ecosystem with significant biodiversity, heritage, recreational and cultural values.

"This decision ultimately came down to Ngāi Tahu Farming, a wholly owned subsidiary of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Group, having the strongest experience of farming at scale in the high country of those who applied. They have strong financial and business foundations offering long-term security for the Crown, making them the best applicant for the opportunity to negotiate the concession," Weston said.

"Ngāi Tahu Farming currently farms three high country stations, spanning 36,000 hectares, as part of the 100,000 hectares of farming and forestry land it manages across the South Island.

"Final details of the farming operations will be determined through the concession process and will need to deliver on our high expectations regarding public access and weed and pest control.

"DOC ran a thorough process, weighed up a range of expert advice and materials, and made a decision in the best interest of Molesworth, one of New Zealand's truly special places."

DOC expected public access and weed and pest control would be maintained or improved and details would emerge during the concession process.

Jim Ward told RNZ he was informed of the decision during a short phone call about an hour and a half before the announcement was made publicly on Friday afternoon.

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"I'm absolutely gutted. The last 12 months have been a huge body of work getting it in front of people. We are all a bit deflated at the minute to be honest," Ward said.

"My wife and I put 24 years into Molesworth plus this last year. It was looking to the future, looking to cement Molesworth as a place for mum and dad and the kids of New Zealand, to build on what we had started. It was a totally different concept - a station for the nation - making it into a charitable trust. It was quite a bold concept, but it was the right thing to do."

DOC had not told him why his bid was not successful.

"I'm still pretty numb but the decision's been made and I'll just have to go find myself something else to do," Ward said

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu welcomed the news.

Chief executive Ben Bateman said DOC's decision reflected the iwi's proven capability in farming, conservation and commercial management.

"We are committed to making sure the terms of any concession we negotiate are good for all New Zealanders. Public access, biodiversity and ecological stewardship are central to how we would manage Rangitahi Molesworth," Bateman said.

"For us, Rangitahi is not simply a farming opportunity. It is an ancestral landscape woven into the whakapapa of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Māmoe and Waitaha. To be entrusted with its stewardship is a responsibility we approach with humility and determination."

Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura chairperson Hariata Kahu said it was an important milestone for her hapū, Ngāti Kurī.

"For many generations we have longed to play a more active role in protecting Rangitahi Molesworth. Growing up, we learn the pūrākau of Rangitahi and the journeys our people made through this landscape. The Awatere and Waiautoa rivers are part of those stories and even the name Rangitahi speaks to the coming together of those waters," she said.

"To know that if we are granted a concession we would have the opportunity to help care for this whenua is incredibly significant. For Ngāti Kurī, this is about ensuring future generations can experience Rangitahi, much like our ancestors did, with its landscapes and stories protected."

The iwi would now work through the details of its concession application

Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst said he welcomed the clarity DOC's decision provided.

"The Department of Conversation has run a really robust, competitive and fair process to get to this point," Hurst said.

"We congratulate Ngāi Tahu Farming on putting forward a strong business case and being selected as the preferred operator to negotiate for the lease. Molesworth is an incredibly special property for all New Zealanders, owned by all New Zealanders, so it's important whoever takes on the lease is well set up to succeed."

Ngāi Tahu Farming had the experience and financial resilience to farm a property like Molesworth Station, Hurst said.

"Ngāi Tahu Farming has a strong balance sheet that would allow them to keep farming through tough years with drought or poor commodity prices. It's also well placed to run an integrated system with existing finishing farms around North Canterbury - so the decision makes sense from that perspective.

"There also need to be clear expectations set that public access to Molesworth is protected and that there is a commitment to active weed and pest management."