Govt. Buys Hazlett Runs For £500,000

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30916, 24 November 1965, Page 1

Govt. Buys Hazlett Runs For £500,000

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, November 23. The Government has paid Mr W. E. Hazlett, of Invercargill, £500,000 for about 140,000 acres of land in Southland. Legal documents completing the sale were signed today at Invercargill and the Government will take over the land on May 6. The 140,000 acres is in three stations—Burwood, Centre Hill, and Mavora. The stations will be developed and cut up into economic farming units by the Lands and Survey Department.

The land was held under Crown lease.

Mr Hazlett will retain the Burwood homestead and 1200 acres of land surrounding it. This land, as part of the deal, will be Crown freehold. Announcing the completion of the sale, Mr Hazlett said he was “not happy” with the deal.

“I would advise anyone with Crown leasehold land not to develop it,” he said. “The Government preaches more development and in-

creased primary production, but when they seek to buy back their leases, they won’t pay the price.” Mr Hazlett said his dealings with Lands and Survey officers in Invercargill had been entirely satisfactory, but he could not say the same for dealings with the departmental heads of the Land Settlement Board in Wellington.

Mr Hazlett also disclosed that he had bought the Gorge station, 6090 acres of leasehold land adjoining Burwood. “This might look as though I’m going against what I said about Crown leasehold land,” he said, “but I intend to develop the Gorge to its fullest production.” Last year, Mr Hazlett, a former All Black, was New Zealand’s leading racehorse owner.

I The Prime Minister (Mr : Holyoake) said tonight that • the property would produce . at least 74, possibly 90, sheep i units and two pastoral runs. He said the purchase ’ meant that the Lands Depart- ■ ment now had 390,933 acres, : estimated to produce at least 243 farms, under development in Southland. Mr Holyoake said about 6000 acres of the Hazlett prop- ■ erty was in pasture. The balance was mainly tussock.