Nelson Lindsay and Jake Heuval are planning the farm on 30ha west of Winton as part of a move to capitalise on the free-range chicken market – a niche industry in New Zealand.

They are finalising aspects of their resource consent application for the operation, and Mr Heuval is in the process of disestablishing his organic chicken farm in Gisborne, the largest of its type in New Zealand.

Fed up with battling the Resource Management Act to gain resource consent for the operation, which had recently moved to a new location, Mr Heuval eventually made the decision to cut his ties with the area.

Parts of the community, including iwi and neighbours, had opposed the farm, making it difficult for him to continue spending money on gaining consent for the operation.

Mr Heuval hoped Southlanders would be more welcoming to the Southland proposal and the perceived benefits such a business could bring to the area.

"New Zealand needs to wake up. If we carry on with this banana republic, then people are not going to want to invest in New Zealand," he said.