Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani Incorporation

2024 Dairy Finalists

Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani Incorporation

Photo L-R: Te Horipo Karaitiana – Deputy Chairman, Gavin Sheath – Advisor, Brett Bennet – General Manager of Finance, Mereana Aranga – Finance Assistant & Events Relations Manager, Kingi Smiler –Chairman, Haley Webber – Farm 4 2IC, Gareth Hughes – General Manager of Farms, Anaru Smiler –Group General Manager, Kim Turner –Farm 4 Manager. Corpow Potter –Farm 4 Farm Assistant, Karol Good –Property Manager, Brooklyn Webber –Farm 4 Farm Assistant, Diego Gomez –Operations Manager, Chersonia Stowers –Farm 4 Herd Manager.

The story of the formation of Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani Incorporation (WMI) and the ownership of some 30,486 acres of the Pouakani 2 Block in Mangakino, South Waikato has its origins in the colonisation of the Wairarapa after 1840. Wairarapa Moana hapū had valuable landholdings and customary fishing rights for tuna in and around Lake Wairarapa, however by the late 1800s continual pressure from farmer settlers and Crown coercion ultimately led to the hapū gifting the lake to the Crown in 1896 in exchange for other lands in the Wairarapa.

The Crown did not honour the original agreement and were not prepared to source lands locally in Wairarapa, so in 1915 with great reluctance the hapū leaders at that time accepted the land known as the Pouakani 2 Block in Mangakino.

Access to the land was only made available in 1946 as a result of the building of the Maraetai dam by the Ministry of Works, who had commenced major works without seeking the consent of the WMI landowners. The crown also acquired 2,000 acres of the Pouakani 2 Block under the Public Works Act for the dam infrastructure.

For the period from 1947 to 1983 the Pouakani lands were developed by Māori Affairs Department under the Māori Land Development Scheme first set up by Ta Apirana Ngata in 1929. The first whānau from the Wairarapa moved to Mangakino in 1948 to begin farming. The block was initially developed into twenty 100 acre dairy units and two large sheep and beef units with the remaining lands planted in radiata pine.

So, it took some 87 years since the gifting of the Lake to the Crown, before the owners finally had control of their own whenua.

WMI currently consists of 12 dairy units across 4,300ha, three dairy support units comprising 1,900 ha and two forestry blocks totalling 6,100ha. It aims to produce five million milksolids from its 12,000 cow herd and is the largest supplier to milk processor Miraka Ltd, of which WMI is a cornerstone shareholder.

Today 128 years later WMI continues under the stewardship of the mokopuna of the original 230 owners, Kingi Smiler (Chair), Te Horipo Karaitiana (Deputy Chair), Anne Carter, Sonya Rimene and Brad Tatere. The Committee’s aspiration is to continue to nurture their taonga for future generations guided by the overarching philosophy of kaitiakitanga.

WMI has entered one of its dairy units into the Ahuwhenua Trophy Competition, which has a milking platform of 300 hectares, milking 980 cows and producing 416,000 kg/MS. This is managed by Kim Turner and her 2IC, Haley Webber.

With a strong focus on optimising both economic and environmental performance, WMI has comprehensive business and environmental plans, aimed at building a sustainable and resilient business. WMI also provides cultural and social investment to support the well-being of our tipuna marae, our owners and wider whānau, as well as the local community in Mangakino and Wairarapa.