LOSS OF LAND BY ACT OF NATURE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21120, 22 March 1934, Page 6

LOSS OF LAND BY ACT OF NATURE

♦ discission by crown tenants Whetlu-r it was fair that a tenant ' should be expected to pay rates, rents, ! and interest on land when by an act | of natur- he had been deprived o. its ■ use. was discussed at a meeting of the South Canterbury Crown Tenants'

. Association at Timaru. , ! It was reported that a tenant in the; : Pleasant Point district had lost 30 acres . ; nf what was said to be his best land, j : lie had to pay rent on the 30 acres j ! concerned. : 'though t.- land oid not; i ~xist. He I.ad made endeavours to ; 1 have the position adjusted, but had. i been unable to obtain redress. : The chairman iMr D. Kidd) stated | i that the Land Board had discussed loss i | through erosion oo variot.j occasions,! jnnd he believed that nothing could be j done through that body. The board| I contended that the land was under! [lease in perpetuity, and better than; 'freehold, and that in areas where j ■erosion took place river boards might j !be formed. The matter should be 1 stronglv brought before the Minister U Lands 'the Hon. E. A. Hansom>. j Mr A. G. Morrison referred to a j case at St. Andrews in which a man ' had obtained a resurvey of his land, ; which was considered to have been : lost through sea erosion, and the • speaker suggested that mi eh a course ! should be adopted in the present in - ; stance. He thought it wrong that a j man should have to pay rent for land I which did not exist. Mr J. Harris asked if there was a l clau.-e in the lease providing for loss through an act of God. 1 The chairman thought that there was no such provision. ! Mr .T, J. Gregan opposed the pro- ! posal that the matter be brought under | the notice of the Minister with a request for a resurvey. It opened up a big discussion, he said. When tenants took up a 1< a>e of property on :i r.ver frontage Iluy realised the risk ' f ( rovicn and f'ood and the;. - had to . s land by that risk. There could be no compensation for loss through an act ! of except in very special circum- : It was stated ,oa! even if a resurvey) u ere made the land in most case:; j would std! bo there. What was rcouired was a revaluation of the land. • The meeting agreed t - a.-k the : Minister to grant a revaluation of the j .'and lost or destroyed by river crosier:.