Ngati Tuwharetoa will today finalise the purchase of 8500 hectares of Crown land in the central North Island.
The full Tongariro-Rangipo prison site, which is included in the Ngati Tuwharetoa deal. Photo: SUPPLIED
The Tuwharetoa Settlement Trust and five other Tuwharetoa groups will buy the land in a buy-to-lease deal.
Hautu-Rangipo Whenua Limited will buy the Tongariro-Rangipo Corrections Facility, including the Hautu prison farm near Turangi, and about 4000 hectares of timber plantations.
The package is costing about $20 million and is part of the Deferred Settlement Process, which was agreed with the Crown in the 2008 Central North Island Treaty Settlement.
The sale and purchase by Hautu-Rangipo Whenua Limited will be marked at Rongomai marae, near Turangi.
Hautu-Rangipo Whenua Limited includes a Tuwharetoa Settlement Trust subsidiary, two large forestry Trusts, three Tuwharetoa farming entities, and a collective entity representing eight hapu.
The purchase is part of the Deferred Settlement Process, which was agreed with the Crown in the 2008 Central North Island Treaty Settlement.
The Tuwharetoa Settlement Trust involvement in the Hautu-Rangipo partnership means Ngati Tuwharetoa has raised $67.5 million over the past two years to buy Crown land.
The iwi has had more than 9300 hectares of land returned.