More land sales in the wind?

Press, 1 April 1980, Page 3

More land sales in the wind?

PA Wellington Further deals similar to the recent sale of Coromandel land to an Arabian prince might be in the wind, according to Labour’s shadow minister of agriculture (Sir Basil Arthur). “Information has come .to me that further sales are, or were, planned,” Sir Basil said. The Ministers of Finance and Lands had an obligation to give a firm assurance that no further applications for exemptions under the Foreign Ownership and Investment Act involving land would be given, Sir Basil said.

Replying to earlier comment by Sir Basil, the Under-Secretary of Agriculture (Mr Talbot) accused him of stirring up “emotional and erroneous claptrap.” The land deal with the Arabian prince was a “oneoff” sale and did not set a precedent, Mr Talbot said. Sir Basil had conveniently forgotten that the last Labour Government approved the sale of a substantial piece of land in Marlborough to a wine-mak-ing company for grape growing Mr Talbot said. The New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs is unhappy about the Government’s allowing the prince to buy a Coromandel farm.

The president of the federation Mr B. P. Duncan of Darfield said that his organisation was bitterly disappointed with the Government for allowing the sale. It set an “unhealthy prece-

dent” and made a ■'mockery of the restraints in thej legislation controlling the foreign ownership of New Zealand land. Although the Land Settlement Promotion and Land Acquisition Act allowed the Minister of Lands and the Prime Minister to override the objects of-the act it was of concern to the federation that because of the circumstances of the sale it could be the first of similar cases. “Our land is our heritage and not something to be bartered with to foreign interests,” said Mr Duncan:. The Acting Minister of Lands (Mr Maclntyre) had said that an essential purpose of the sale was that the farm be used for experimental or research work that would be of benefit to New Zealand. However, the federation did not regard this argument as credible, as New Zealand research organisations were already in the forefront in studies of lean meat production. The property, was unique in that it had seven beaches, six kilometres of private coastline and a large, well appointed residence. This seemed to equip it bet= ter for a vacation resort than a potential research institute.

The federation was also concerned about the Government’s “double standards” on this matter. There had been instances of genuine young farmers from overseas wishing to take out New Zealand citizenship to buy r land and farm here, but they had been refused, Mr Duncan said.