Māori organisation Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu recently announced the group has been selected as the preferred operator for Rangitahi/Molesworth Station following a competitive expression of interest process administered by Aotearoa / New Zealand's Department of Conservation.
At 180,000 hectares, Molesworth is New Zealand's largest farm and one of the most significant high-country properties in the country.
"For Ngāi Tahu, it is also an ancestral landscape of profound cultural and spiritual importance - one that our people have sought to reconnect with for generations," Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu said in a statement.
"We will be looking at farming and other opportunities here that allow more people to experience Rangitahi and share in our histories and heritage alongside mana whenua. We are proud of the bid we put forward.
"Next steps involve engaging with DOC to apply for a concession to manage Rangitahi. We'll keep you updated along the way. We look forward to sharing more in due course."
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu are the iwi comprised of Ngāi Tahu whānui; that is, the collective of the individuals who descend from the five primary hapū of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Māmoe and Waitaha, namely Kāti Kurī, Ngāti Irakehu, Kāti Huirapa, Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu was established by the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Act 1996 and services the tribe's statutory rights and ensures that the benefits of the Settlement are enjoyed by Ngāi Tahu whānui now and in the future.
Throughout the South Island there are 18 local rūnanga. An elected representative from each of rūnanga makes up Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the governing body overseeing the tribe's activities.
