$649,999 hit as land sold for $1
Environment Southland has agreed to sell a large block of land for just $1 after buying it six years ago for $650,000.
The land known as the "Webster Block" is near Waituna Lagoon — an area of ecological and cultural significance about half an hour from Invercargill.
The council has agreed to offer the land to Whakamana te Waituna Charitable Trust for the nominal amount to support long-term restoration and management, a council report said.
Work is starting at the site on a "significant" reforestation project and pilot for nature credits.
Covering an area of more than 48ha, the council bought the block in 2019 citing various reasons, including re-establishing a hydrological regime to protect the lagoon's values, re-establishing Te Rūnanga o Awarua as kaitiaki and providing alternative land use for better water quality.
It was also bought to demonstrate different drainage options and farming interventions that could reduce contaminants in the lagoon and its tributaries.
Council chairman Nicol Horrell said it was an ambitious project which would likely return the land to native plantings and wetland.
"A lot of what the trust has been doing in recent years is leading edge and it has benefits for the whole community."
The report noted the trust was set up to oversee a multimillion-dollar co-funding agreement between the council and the Ministry for the Environment in 2018.
A covenant was placed on the land after it was bought, meaning it needed to be cared for in a way which improved biodiversity and freshwater.
That covenant dropped the land's value from $650,000 to $250,000.
The council has also retained a right of refusal on the land, meaning it can repurchase it for $1 if the trust attempts a disposal or winds up.
Stakeholders of the trust include Environment Southland, the Southland District Council, Te Rūnanga o Awarua, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the Department of Conservation and Fonterra.
• LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Raw Milk Faithful Keeps Dairy Farmers On The Hop
Article – RNZ It's a busy time of year for Stacey Faith, calving 300-plus cows, rearing their calves and keeping the Faith Farm's roadside milk dispensing outlet going, providing locals with milk fresh from the cows over the fence – with the cream on top. , for Country Life Heading along the Kāpiti Coast's old state highway, you might spy a black and white cow on top of a shiny red shed. Not a real cow, mind you. It's a sign to pull off and pick up some milk, fresh from the cows grazing just over the fence. The customers come and go from Faith Farm Fresh, filling bottles and loading chilly bins at the fancy automated machines. Keeping the milk flowing here is all in a day's work for dairy farmer Stacey Faith, who, with her husband Andrew and farm workers, milks 360 cows at their farm between Ōtaki and Waikanae. 'You know, it's all about being local and fresh,' one of the Faiths' regulars said, topping up a glass bottle with milk from the dispenser. She was used to unpasteurised milk as a child – brought home in a bucket straight from the udder. Most of the Faith's milk goes to Fonterra, but 20 of the Friesians form the 'raw herd', producing only A2 milk, and milked separately to supply the roadside shop with unpasteurised milk – also known as raw milk. 'We had no clue when we opened well over five, nearly five-and-a-half years ago now. I mean, we sat down with the bank, and they said, 'Oh, well, how much would you like to sell a day?' and we thought 100 litres would be good. And we average now 300 litres a day,' Stacey Faith said. In New Zealand, the milk bought in shops must be pasteurised. Consumers are also allowed to buy raw milk, but producers must be registered, meet hygiene requirements, test milk for pathogens, keep records of sales and make sure consumers are aware of the risks of consuming raw milk. Faith said many of her customers have told her that raw milk helps them with ailments. 'A lot of our customers come here because they're diabetic, they have psoriasis, they have skin conditions. I'm a dairy farmer. I'm not a doctor. 'This is what our customers tell us, it's better for their health.' The demand has surprised them. On the odd occasion, she said they've even had to close their doors, 'because we had no milk until we milked the cows. And then it was just catch up that whole week, trying to get them back to milking three, four o'clock that afternoon.' The big 18-wheeler trucks used to stop before the new highway opened, Faith said. They would take bottles of the milk to Auckland, but that's stopped now that the little red shed is on a side road. 'We're allowed 30 hours to sell the milk, but we sell out sometimes before 24 hours.' With the special hygiene and testing regime required for raw milk, it's all a lot of extra work for the busy dairy farmers. One of them must always be available between 6am and 10pm every day of the year in case there's a coin jam or one of the pumps stops working. 'So, you get a phone call, 'I've only got half a bottle of milk', you've got to come down and sort it out'.' The cows must be specially cleaned at milking time too, taking at least twice as long as the main herd, which supplies Fonterra. The milk from the main herd will be pasteurised – heated to a high temperature to kill bacteria – once it reaches the processing plant. 'As a place that sells raw milk, that's the only thing we don't have control of … people coming in and filling a dirty bottle. We do everything in our power to make it as clean as we can.' Calving a niche The need to keep the milk taps flowing year-round means calving is an extended season for the Faiths. On top of tending to the shed, testing and working as a swim coach, Faith will rear 300-plus calves this season, with the help of some automated feeding machines. Apart from the Friesians reared as replacements for the two herds, her meatier Hereford cross calves are sold to be grown on by lifestyle block owners nearby. While she takes it all in her stride, all the extra work the little red shed involves prompts the question – what's the point? 'I just love the idea that we're getting rid of plastic because we've got glass bottles … how it used to be back in the day. 'It's great to see so many people bringing the bottles back to refill.' She also likes supporting local suppliers and enterprises like the local MenzShed, where the bottle crates are made. 'It's all got to be good for the planet and sustainability, supporting all the local people.'
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- NZ Herald
Black Forest Meringue Mess Recipe
What could be more indulgent than crisp meringue, rich cherry compote and velvety mascarpone? For a quicker presentation, fold the cherry compote into the meringue and serve in a lovely bowl with chocolate shards peeking out of the top. Or get creative and make them individually, as I have here. BLACK FOREST MERINGUE MESS Serves 4 Meringues 3 egg whites 1 cup caster sugar ½ tsp each of vanilla, cornflour and vinegar Cherry Mess 1 cup tinned cherries ½ cup juice 2 tsp orange zest ¼ cup caster sugar 1 tsp arrowroot mixed with 2 tsp water 200g mascarpone 150g dark chocolate Preheat the oven to 150C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Draw eight circles 6-8cm in diameter. Beat the egg whites until light and fluffy. Add the sugar in three or four batches, beating to incorporate each time. Beat in the vanilla, cornflour and vinegar. Using a spoon, dollop the meringue into each circle, shaping with the back of the spoon. Bake for one hour, then turn off the oven and allow to cool. Place the cherries, juice, zest and caster sugar in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in the arrowroot and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and cool. Place the chocolate into small pieces in a heatproof bowl. Melt over simmering water until smooth. Remove from the heat. Place a piece of baking paper on a flat surface. Spread the chocolate thinly with a spatula and allow to cool completely. Break into shards or shapes of your liking. Break four of your meringues into small pieces in a bowl. Fold through the mascarpone. Make four heaps of meringue mixture on your serving plates. Stick your shard around the outside. To finish, drizzle with the cherry compote.
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Advice: My friend's kids are wearing me out - can I say something?
My friend's kids are wearing me out. Can I say something? Illustration / Marta Monteiro, The New York Times Q: I have a close friend who has two young children whom I've been spending more time with lately. The kids are sweet, but I often find myself feeling overwhelmed and drained around them. Their parents divorced two years ago, and their father is emotionally unstable and unpleasant. I know
