GREENHILLS.

Kaikoura Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 59, 31 July 1944, Page 3

GREENHILLS.

ITS PURCHASE DEFENDED BY MR. E. P. MEACHEN, M.P. WELLINGTON, July 28. The Government purchase of the Greenhills property in Kaikoura for soldier settlement was defended by’ Mr E. P. Meachen, Member for Marlborough, when speaking in the House of Representatives to-day. He said there was no intention to settle it immediately, but to develop it. Mr Meachen said an allegation had been made that Greenhills was sour and the land wasn’t worth a tin of fish.” When he had taken the question up with the man making the statement, he said he had not been on the property but had obtained the information byringing up some residents of the locality. Mr Meachen said he had visited the property. The man had said only 70<> acres were in good order and that the rest was sour. Actually the area of good land was 1500 acres and the remainder was going to be given treatment. It was sour, but it had been bought for only 36/ an acre. An Opposition member: What about the snow risk? Mr Meachen: “There is no snow risk. The snow lies there for a fortnight or so in a particularly bad winter, but there is no bigger snow risk than in the surrounding country*.” Mr Meachen said men who had worked on the property were asking to be allowed to take it up right away, before it was developed. He knew it would be said that a owner had had to go off, but that was because he had a mortgage of £7 an acre. The Government had bought it for 36/ an acre. -