Some impatience over N.Z. kibbutz plan

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33455, 9 February 1974, Page 9

Some impatience over N.Z. kibbutz plan

(By

KEN COATES)

There is a growing sense of impatience among young people over the Government’s kibbutz plan proposer! last year. While a number are reported to be keen to establish kibbutzim New Zealandstyle, they feel frustrated because of a lack of information on the extent of Government backing they can expect. Mr Allan Craig, of Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, spent his holidays travelling the length of New Zealand talking to people interested in the idea, and visiting existing communes, including Fox River, on the West Coast, and Riverside, Nelson. Allan, a young man with radical views about society, expresses disillusionment with our materialist-based way of life. “We should not leave the kibbutz scheme to the Government,” he says. "People interested should get on with it themselves.” As he sees it. there is a lack of communication between groups all over the country who are interested. Many young people have different ideas, and they need to talk and see what they have in common, he says. One way of achieving this, according to Allan, would be to set up a kind of national association of would-be kibbutzers. And people with money to spend on the scheme — he says it does not matter how much they have — could pay varying amounts into a national account administered by the savings banks. Practical means Such a move, he maintains, would provide unity, independence and if sufficient people backed it. a practical means of setting up kibbutzes. For Allan Craig an alternative societv is important. He says he does not want to get married and bring up children in today’s world in which values are wrongly-based. Just how many supporters he would get for his ideathat a kibbutz should be

self-supporting, non profitmaking and consist of going back to the pioneering life, with as little dependence on modern technology as possible, is difficult to estimate. He maintains, for example, that an Invercargill-based scheme for a kibbutz at Te Anau is too commercial. Another of his suggestions is that if the Maori people could be enthused with the advantages of the kibbutz idea, a great deal of Maori land could be used for the purpose. The Government is not entirely unconscious of the need to stimulate the kibbutz idea which Mr Kirk himself announced. It has been decided to call a meeting to be held outdoors at Elsdon, near Porirua, on February 13. Everyone who has written or called on the Government seeking more information has been invited and the Minister of Lands (Mr Faulkner) will preside. According to the Minister’s secretary, Mr Neville Male, the attendance is like-, ly to be around 60. “It will include university professors, students, people disillusioned with society, people from the arts and crafts like potters and those who want to become kibbutz members,’’ he says. Flexible policy The Government at this stage apparently has no fixed ideas about the concept of a kibbutz-New Zealand style, but wants to see it run by the people interested themselves. The Minister’s secretary preducts that Mr Faulkner will probably hear ideas and then ask those present to form a working party to exchange ideas further and possibly come up with firm proposals. There has been a steady stream of inquiries about the proposal and the Government earlier indicated that it would be prepared to consider making land available for development for approved schemes. But some young people are reportedly expressing cynicism over the Government’s motives and doubts about its future relationship with kibbutzes should they be established using land provided by the Crown.

Another young man attracted to the idea is an American, Mr Terry Moore, aged 25, a graduate in mathematics who worked for a time in computer programming. Keen interest Disenchanted with the consumer-capitalist society, which he says does not work well in the United States, he went to Britain and Europe. Hardly enthralled by that part of the world, he arrived in New Zealand a few weeks ago. Hearing of the kibbutz idea, he has travelled throughout the country visiting every community" there is. He maintains that there is keen interest in the proposal, but that the Government should show its hand so everyone knows how far it will back kibbutz plans. Mr Moore says he will be at the Porirua meeting and will press for some definite information from the Government as to what it is prepared to do to help.

Present indications are that having come up with the basic idea, the Government first wants to take a look at the ideas and plans of young people themselves before committing itself.