Building for the future at Omuturangi
For generations, Omuturangi 6E & 7A has been a productive dairy operation in Taranaki. Over time, however, the trust's ageing cowshed had reached the point where significant investment was needed to ensure a sustainable and profitable future. The existing facility no longer met current requirements and was beginning to become a barrier for growth and the aspirations owners and trustees held for the whenua.
Te Tumu Paeroa worked alongside the Omuturangi 6E & 7A Advisory Trustees to progress one of the trust's most significant development projects in recent years – the construction of a new dairy shed designed to support future growth.
Plans for a new cowshed had been under development since 2023, with trustees, owners and Te Tumu Paeroa working together to assess options and secure funding. Securing finance was a critical step in progressing the development, with a $950,000 loan approved through the Kānoa Regional Infrastructure Fund and additional lending support provided through the Māori Trustee General Purposes Fund. In anticipation of the cowshed upgrade, the Trust had invested in a complete second-hand milking plant, to be installed in the new cowshed facility.
New cowshed at Omuturangi 6E and 7A
The development was driven by more than the need to replace ageing infrastructure. Trustees saw an opportunity to improve the capability of the facilities which would see increased production, support for animal health and wellbeing and greater operating efficiencies. The new facility is expected to be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, with the cowshed relocated away from waterways and wetlands. The project also aligns with longer-term aspirations to provide employment pathways to rangatahi.
“The new cowshed supports capacity for future growth in agribusiness, and increased revenue that will provide the foundational pathway forward for owners to achieve their aspirations toward herd ownership with tangata whenua at the helm of the day-to-day management,” says Mātanga Taiwhenua | Te Tumu Paeroa Rural Specialist, Chris Verbeet.
Advisors worked closely with trustees to assess how a new facility could support both immediate operational needs and longer-term growth opportunities. The preferred option was a new herringbone cowshed that would provide greater milking capacity while positioning the trust to realise more value from its whenua over time.
Development work gathered momentum with many construction milestones achieved during the reporting year. Alongside the new cowshed build, improvements to supporting infrastructure helped prepare the property for future growth. This included a major stock water upgrade, which installed approximately 3.3 kilometres of new water pipe and 34 water troughs across the farm. The upgraded system will support increased stock numbers and ensure reliable water supply across the whenua.
Together, these developments represent an investment not only in farm productivity, but also in the long-term sustainability of the whenua. The development also helps protect the value of earlier investments made by the trust over many years.
"This project showcases the strength of collaboration between the Advisory Trustees, Te Tumu Paeroa and everyone involved in bringing the development to life. It demonstrates what's possible when we work together towards a shared vision for the whenua," said Chris.
The new cowshed was opened and blessed in July 2026.
New cowshed at Omuturangi 6E and 7A