STATE PURCHASE OF LAND

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27098, 22 July 1953, Page 3

STATE PURCHASE OF LAND

ARANUI RESIDENTS AGAIN PROTEST

“Though we have petitioned Parliament, protesting against the Government’s action in taking our land for State housing, the Government is charging me rent for property it has taken from me,” said Mr L. T. Loversidge at a meeting of Wainoni and Aranui landowners last evening. Mr Loversidge said he had been one of the 20 signatories to the petition. The meeting instructed him to write to the Minister in charge of Housing Construction (Mr W. S. Goosman), condemning the action of the Government in taking property and collecting rent from it before compensation had been agreed upon. “I have been in business for 50 years, and have never seen such impertinence as this,” said the chairman (Mr H. H. Cook). “.The Government had no right to take the land while a signed petition was waiting to go before Parliament.” Mr Cook said he had received a letter from Mr Goosman in which the Minister had said that the proclamation for taking land in the district had not been issued, and that no further action would be taken until the petition of landowners had been presented for consideration. In the meantime, the Government valuation of the land would be brought up-to-date. “Has anyone been visited by a Government valuer for a revaluation of land?” asked Mr Cook.

Only one landowner at the meeting said he had been approached for a revaluation of his property. Compensation Issue “The Minister has promised in writing that he will give us market prices and full compensation for our land: that is all we want,” said Mr Cook. Miss N. Simpson: But what do they mean by market price? “There is only one market price, but I think in this case it means the Government’s own price,” said Mr Cook. “I offered them 40 acres of my land for £20.000 in 1951, but never heard from them again except to say that it was worth between £7O and £BO an acre.”

“The Minister advised us to have our land valued by private valuers, and I did this,” said Mr T. Warren. *‘l found there was little difference between the Government valuation and the private valuation. The value of land in the Aranui and Wainoni districts has increased tremendously in the last few years.” “The Ministry of Works took land from me on a road frontage and offered me a nominal price of £l2O a section.” said Mr R. G. Dixon. “ I challenged them, and said that if they could offer me any other sections only 4| miles from the city at that price, I would buy the lot.”

Mr Dixon claimed that he had rejected private offers of £3OO each for the sections in question.