With the aid of finance from the Rural Bank and various government incentive schemes, a four-year development programme of a 400 ha block of largely undeveloped land in a high rainfall area at Awatuna, 14 km from Hokitika, was undertaken in 1976. The area consisted of a mixture of alluvial flats, river terraces, mining tailings and pakihi, each with its own characteristics and problems. Devdopment techniques for each of these areas are described, and the management policy which makes use of these particular soil types to form the basis of a successful beef fattening enterprise is outlined.
