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Maori trusts seek to buy some Crafar farms

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Maori trusts seek to buy Crafar farms

3News NZ

The Maori trusts would operate any farms they purchased (file pic)

The Maori trusts would operate any farms they purchased (file pic)

Shanghai Pengxin, the Chinese company that controversially purchased 16 dairy farms owned by the Crafar family from receivers, is considering an offer for two farms from Maori trusts who were part of a rival New Zealand consortium.

Tiroa E and Te Hape B Trusts chairman Hardie Peni said an offer has been made to Shanghai Pengxin for two farms of interest to the trusts known as Benneydale one and two.

"We are only going through an exchange of documents at the moment. Whether of not the offer is going to be acceptable to them we don't know.

"They have indicated quite some time ago that they would prefer to go down this track," he said.

He said Tauhara Moana Trust, of Taupo, which was finalist in this year's Ahuwhenua Trophy for excellence in farming by Maori, was also seeking the return of a farm.

The Maori trusts would operate any farms they purchased, Mr Peni said.

"We were wanting our farms returned back to the original owners. We have approached the Chinese and they have also approached us a number of times.

"I've sent through to them this morning a copy of a memorandum of understanding plus sale and purchase agreement," Mr Peni said.

The New Zealand consortium led by businessman Sir Michael Fay went to court to try to stop the sale of the farms to Shanghai Pengxin. An appeal in that process is still pending.

Shanghai Pengxin is using state-owned Landcorp to manage the farms.

The appeal relates to how the Overseas Investment Office applied a business acumen test, given that Shanghai Pengxin, a property investor, had no dairying expertise.

NZN

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Comments

5/07/2012 2:33:14 p.m.

Moera wrote:

The Chinese are an intelligent people and will often operate in favour of what is more lucrative for them in the long term. The Chinese obviously see merit in dealing with Maaori or else they wouldn't be in the NZ education system learning Te Reo Maaori or anything pertaining to Maaori in general. The only question is What does it mean for the Maaori?? If Iwi can purchase tapu whenua of the Maaori and keep S.O.A within NZ, so that NZ (as a whole) can benefit from it, then where's the problem? Key has some serious issues in dealing with Maaori and I find it very unsettling that he would rather sell S.O.A offshore and loose any 'control' that NZ may have rather than keep it within our own organisations, whether it be either Maaori or Pakeha.

19/06/2012 9:33:58 a.m.

Joe wrote:

If Shanghai Pengxin gift two farms or even sell two farms back to IWI I will detract my views in oposition of Shanghai Pengxin. It is good to see a commercial body do something which may not be in their best interest commercially but is the right thing to do.

18/06/2012 5:44:21 p.m.

Adrian wrote:

Tom settle down old chap. What's still on the negotiations table is the option of gifting back to Iwi/Maori so it begs the question why is it that our government (The NZ Government) ignores emphatically the option of gifting back waahi tapu land to Iwi/Maori? Is our soveriengty being compromised by a much larger nation? A super power with vito power on the UN security council. Is China expressing compassion toward Maaori? These are the bigger questions and that's disturbing for ordinary new zealanders. Time to venture elsewhere in pursuit of discovery. Is there any land left???

18/06/2012 12:24:20 p.m.

tom wrote:

Peter Sharples has shown his true colours. He will sell the rest of NZ down the drain if he can get a deal exclusively for Maori. Crafar farms have had a number of farms offered to Iwi and when the asset sales come up, maori will be in boots and all and to hell with the rest of the country. if I was a ordinary Maori i would be very worried, as past history shows, only the Maori elite (the Brown Mafia) get the money.