A Taupō site that in its heyday accommodated a nursery employing dozens of staff and which sent millions of trees all over the country will be brought out of its mothballed state.

Te Pae O Waimihia, a trust representing six hapū from the north and east of Lake Taupō has signed a management agreement with the Department of Conservation for the former Taupō Native Plant Nursery.

Chairman Ngahere Wall said the official handover on Monday was the start of an exciting journey for the trust whose representatives include Ngāti Tutemohuta, Ngāti Hineure, Ngāti Hinerau, Ngāti Rauhoto, Ngāti Tutetawha and Ngāti Urunga.

The project would be called ‘He Tipu’.

“It represents ‘growth’ – growth for our people, our environment, our wellbeing and the growth of Te Āo Māori,” said Wall.

“Our aspirations for this venture are designed to demonstrate our investment focus on social and environmental outcomes.”

He Tipu would be a centre for growth, of plants and people, said the trust in a release, with plans for a nursery, training and learning centre, work-ready groups and food-hub.

Steering committee member Greg Stebbing said the trust would establish a foundation first before looking to expand on the land’s “significant potential”.

Since the infrastructure had been neglected after the previous nursery closed in 2018, the first priority would be a cleanup, said Wall.

“We’ll see what we have got, and then we can start from scratch.”

A primary focus would be getting food into the ground.

“Just to make sure if anything was to happen we have a backup reserve of food available… When you kick into emergency mode we felt the limitations of going downtown to the supermarkets. People need the means.”

Saving anything reusable was key, he said, and fitted the trust’s values of kaitiakitanga.

“If we had money behind us, you would bulldoze it all down and start again but what a waste. It is better to salvage it all, stockpile it, reassess what you’ve got and lay it out on a new foundation.”

Initial employees would be a site manager along with about six workers.

“They can get in there and clean it up and then hopefully their roles will evolve over time… become part of the propagation and pricking out and the caretakers looking after the trees and produce...

“It’s all a work in progress, we’ve got a general idea what we’re going to do, but there are always going to be new opportunities that arise from time to time.”

Dave Lumley, Department of Conservation operations manager Central Plateau said the department welcomed the trust’s use of the site, which “regrettably” had lain idle since the departure of the previous operators.

A Department of Lands and Survey nursery was first developed on the 20 hectares in 1961 to re-vegetate areas around the Aratiatia hydropower station and then taken over by DOC in 1987.

It was sold to private investors in the 1990s but went into receivership in 2018, employing 35 staff.

In 2012 it was reported that the Taupō Native Plant Nursery was the biggest producer of native plants and seedlings in the country, with more than 2.5 million plants grown each year.

Project steering committee member Ngatoru Wall said mātauranga Māori would be a core thread of the way the site and new venture operated.

The trust said it intended to promote regenerative themes and eco-sourcing at He Tipu and a food-hub would distribute healthy food to lift whānau to a food-secure position.

He Tipu project manager, Wikitoria Blandina Diamond said it also wanted to fill any gaps in training in the area, supporting local industries, but also “other qualifications that our rangatahi desire.”

Te Pae o Waimihia aims to have the site opening in 2022.

Credit:Stuff.co.nz