Six hectares on the outskirts of Cambridge strategic industrial hub Aotearoa Park have come on the market for the first time.

Zoned as industrial land, owner organisation Cochranes Group is selling off lots of the property through Colliers, starting from $100 per square metre.

The group is hoping to attract large-scale buyers involved in the food processing industry.

"Our vision is to see the site become home to businesses involved primarily in food processing and distribution . . . [it] lends itself to these types of businesses due to its past use as a meat-processing plant and the presence of blast freezing and cold storage on site," group general manager Libby Cochrane said.

Subdividing into small lots was not ideal and the group hoped to attract businesses looking for land parcels of around 3000-plus square metres, though the terms are flexible and design-build and leaseback options would be considered, she said.

The 16ha site in Te Awamutu Rd is the former home of the Weddell meat plant, which closed in 1994 with the loss of 500 jobs.

Cochranes Group, bought the site soon after and part of the former meat-processing plant was later leased by chicken processor Inghams.

The site still houses Inghams' distribution and processing facility as well as K&S Freighters, Aotearoa Park Cold Storage, Mitre 10 and Route & Retail.

About 160 people work at the Aotearoa Park.

Cochrane said the group had been reluctant to sell the land in the past but judged the timing was now right to because of the positive climate in the local market.

- © Fairfax NZ News