Progress likely on Pukaki disputes

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32970, 17 July 1972, Page 12

Progress likely on Pukaki disputes

Prospects for solving disputes over compensation for land and homesteads to be flooded in the Lake Pukaki hydro-electric development project now appear brighter.

As a result of a meeting between the Minister of Works (Mr P. B. Allen) and the chairman of the Mackenzie High Country branch of Federated Farmers (Mr B. Scott) at Wellington on Friday, Mr Scott says: “I am much more optimistic that real progress will now be made.”

Mr Scott, of Lake Tekapo, has been keenly critical of delays over settling compensation and resettlement claims affecting propertyowners on the shores of Lake Pukaki. He said last month that if the percentage of replacements costs offered was to become standard, then it was a “social scandal, not social justice.” TALKS AT LAKE His meeting with Mr Allen came after talks between Ministry of Works officials and run-holders at Lake Pukaki a fortnight ago, and after a meeting between runholders and villagers from Lake Pukaki village and members of the Clutha River Development Committee.

What is decided on for compensation claims at Lake Pukaki will have a direct bearing on future claims arising from the flooding of land involved in the projected Clutha River development.

Mr Scott said that he was spokesman for Lake Pukaki

runholders, including four who had to leave their homesteads. “The Minister had become aware that Federated Farmers was most unhappy and I was invited to Wellington,” he said. “We spent an hour and a half in free, frank, and at times hard-hitting discussions.

“But it was constructive, and although we did not solve anyone’s compensation problem we cleared the ground for real progress.” He said the Ministry of Works chief land purchase officer (Mr L. R. Grace) was present, as was Mr M. G. Murray of The Wold station, one of those affected. VILLAGE RESITING Mr Murray, a member of the Mackenzie County Council and of a joint committee set up to consider whether Pukaki village should be resited when the lake level is raised, expressed the hope yesterday that an alternative site would be found.

He said this was fully discussed with the Minister. A Christchurch lawyer, Mr B. McClelland, who acts for several of the runholders whose land and homesteads will be flooded, said yesterday that he hoped that as a result of the meeting in Wellington—which he attended briefly—a more realistic basis for compensation would be adopted by the Ministry of Works.