Research company to sell Mamaku land-holdings

Rotorua-based Crown Research Institute, Forest Research has confirmed its intention to sell its two remaining forest blocks at Mamaku, near Rotorua. Intensive efforts to sell the blocks to the Department of Conservation (DoC) commenced in 1998 following substantial completion of the research being done on them prior to that time. The 663-hectare blocks were originally purchased off the Crown in 1992 and are in three parts. The negotiations stalled when DoC were unable to pay for the land and Forest Research then moved to covenant a significant area of wetlands as part of a sale preparation process. This covenant was completed and is now in place under the Queen Elizabeth II Trust.

Forest Research then went through a lengthy Treaty of Waitangi process to gain clearance for the sale giving due consideration to the interests of Maori in part of the land in question. These clearances were confirmed earlier this year and one of the three blocks was banked with the Office of Treaty Settlements for potential satisfaction of Maori land claims under the Treaty.

The remaining two blocks are a mixture of regenerating indigenous forest, pasture and exotic planting’s carried out in 1996/1997. These are now on the open market for interested parties.

Chief Executive Bryce Heard said “We would welcome the opportunity to reopen negotiations with DoC if they have a renewed interest in acquiring these blocks. The processes that Forest Research has undergone to obtain approval to sell the land on the open market have been both lengthy and costly. It would be disappointing if this all proved to have been unnecessary.”

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