Mt Vernon price may be higher

Press, 8 March 1984, Page 9

Mt Vernon price may be higher

The Christchurch Civic Trust may have to pay more than it expected for the Mount Vernon block on the Port Hills.

The trust’s chairman, Mr G. L. Robertson, said yesterday that the valuation of the 245 ha block obtained by the landowner, the Bowenvale Farming Company, was considerably higher than that given by the trust’s own valuer. Both figures had been put before an umpire to determine a price

under the terms in the trust’s contract to buy the land. The negotiations were taking longer than expected, Mr Robertson said.

“We cannot go to the people of Christchurch until we have a firm price,” he said.

The land was passed in at auction last year at $360,000. Because the price would be probably higher than expected, a new strategy was being devised to raise the funds, and the trust was

working on acquainting the public with the exact location and nature of the land in question, Mr Robertson said. The trust had no quarrel with the Bowenvale Farming Company, which had been “very good” during the negotiations, he said. Sir Ronald and Lady Scott had agreed to be patrons of the trust’s campaign to acquire the land, Mr Robertson said. They would join Sir James and Lady Stewart.