Ngāi Tahu Property

The first stage of the Ngāi Tahu housing development at Te Pā Tāhuna in Queenstown is now complete.

Apartments at the former Wakatipu High School site on Gorge Rd were officially opened and blessed on 9 February. The first stage includes 27 apartments, 10 of which were sold as part of the KiwiBuild programme providing affordable housing in Queenstown.

This first development has been gifted the name ‘‘Takiwai’’ by mana whenua, the name of a translucent and softer type of pounamu found at Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) and Te Wai Pounamu region.

Planning is now underway for the next stage of the development which will include a further 67 apartments.

Ngāi Tahu Seafood

On 3 March, Ngāi Tahu Seafood (NTS) completed its final shipments of export grade lobster from the Ōtautahi facility at Bolt Place, for the 2022/23 fishing season, which ends 31 March. Despite a slow start to the season and being close to 100 tonne behind at the end of June 2022 due to COVID related lockdowns in China for April and much of May, the NTS fishers and our team managed to not only catch up over the balance of the season but also finished over a week before schedule.

E mihi nui ki a koutou, ko kā kaimahi hī ika, me kā kaimahi ō Te Ohu Kaimoana o Ngāi Tahu. Kā mihi nui i tā koutou nei mahi (A big thank you to all, our fishermen, and our team at Ngāi Tahu Seafood).

The Ōtautahi facility is now shut for repairs and maintenance and will reopen on 1 April for the 2023/24 lobster season. The programme of work includes clearing the plant of equipment for a complete clean down followed by work undertaken by independent contractors to ensure the facility continues to comply with MPI, NTS risk management programme, food safety requirements and where possible, enhance the safety of the workplace. At the time of writing, HydroVac had cleaned the saltwater tanks, Canterbury Waterproofing were preparing surfaces for painting, and Active Refrigeration were attending to all refrigerant and pumping requirements.

Kaikōura is also shut for repairs and maintenance, while Awarua continues to operate, processing tio, pāua and rawaru (blue cod).

The export processing room cleared and in need of some TLC having had close to 460 tonnes of lobster packed out of this room this season at Bolt Place.