More land approved for foreign interests

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 1

More land approved for foreign interests

PA Wellington The Acting Minister of Lands (Mr Maclntyre) confirmed yesterday that BP (N.Z.), .Ltd, and a company of the Fletcher group had been given Government approval to buy land in the Gisborne land district. The confirmation came after the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) had said that the next Labour government 'would repossess without compensation any farmland sold to overseas interests. The recent sale of land at Coromandel to an Arabian prince was the start of a “national sellout policy” by the Government. Since that sale there had been reports of other deals in the pipeline, the latest concerning purchase of prime Gisborne farmland by BP (N.Z.), which was overseas owned. “An incoming Labour government will repossess the land without payment of compensation,” said Mr Rowling. "New Zealand be= longs to New Zealanders and we intend to keep it that way.” Mr Maclntyre said that the Minister of Lands (Mr V, S. Young) and the Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) had approved in principle the purchase of up to 50;000ha over .a 25year period for farm-for-estry ventures. The approval had been given under the Land Settlement Promotion and Land Acquisition Act. The consent of the Minister of Lands and the Minister of Finance would" be needed for each property which the company wished to purchase. ■"ln allowing the land purchases to go ahead the Government has set certain conditions,” said Mr Maclntyre. “First, the company should develop the land having regard to the best land use and, where appropriate, good farm land will be sold to adjoining fanners. “Second, s the Government may require land-use studies to be done on various properties. The Government has also required that any land purchased must be generally within 150 km radius of the port of Gisborne. “Finally the company must consult with the New Zealand Forest Service to minimise possible land-price escalation and competition between the two for the purchase of land.”

Mr Maclntyre said the company intended ,to retain good farm ’ land already in grass for farming and "would plant trees on undeveloped land and land subject or prone- to erosion. Stock would be grazed under the trees,and this would greatly improve the productive capacity of the land. ’ ■ ;

"In granting an exemption under the- act for the company to purchase land the Government has been mindful of the-benefit that will accrue to New Zealand,” said Mr Maclntyre. ‘The act specifies that such purchases may be allowed where there will be benefit to New Zealand agriculture in , particular and to the whole country in general. ‘.‘Certainly no farm land will be taken out of production and there will be added benefits of protection and production forestry." . BP (N.Z.) also holds an option on a 120 ha property at Omata, just out of New Plymouth, where: it had intended to build its/proposed ' 2000-tonne day. stand-alone methanol plant. The Government has re-jected-the BP (N;Z.y proposal in favour of the 1200-tonne-a-day .plant.by Petrocorp in association with the Canadian company Alberta Gas Chemicals, Ltd. BP (N;Z.) has until September to decide what action to take on the option. A spokesman for, the company said the company had other projects and it was too early to say if it would buy the land or abandon the-0pti0n..;....... ■ Mr Rowling "said Labour was not opposed to foreign investment provided it was properly controlled. But there was a big difference between investment and ownership. “The next Labour Government will carefully scrutinise the terms of any investment deals made by the present government and where they do not measure up we will take action,” he said. The Social Credit spokesman' on economic affairs, Mr L. Hunter, said Social Credit would offer every possible assistance to those opposing the “sellout” of New Zealand farm land to overseas interests. . “If holding the balance of responsibility in the next Parliament Social Credit will insist that legislation is passed to prevent sales of New Zealand land to. overseas interests,” he said. ... . ■ '■