Land Access Could Cost Property Owners Millions

Tuesday 2 Nov 2004

Gerry Eckhoff - Press Releases - Rural

The Labour Government's land access proposals are likely to deny landowners the use of parts of their land, and cost millions of dollars in lost earnings and re-sale values, ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff predicted today.

"A media report today has highlighted the case of Marlborough viticulturist Ian Leonard, who stands to lose the use of land valued at $158,000 and a drop in income of at least $18,000 per year, if Labour's `right to roam' policy becomes law," Mr Eckhoff said.

"Under this legislation, Mr Leonard will be forced to allow the public access through land that includes 143 rows of vines. This, despite the viticulturist already providing public access - within reason - when asked.

"I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Leonard: that it would be totally unacceptable for the public to be granted unfettered access through his crops - especially a high value, edible one such as grapes.

"Yet this is exactly what Labour is proposing: the complete erosion of Mr Leonard's, and every other landowners', property rights - or, as he describes it in the latest Rural News, `outright theft' by the Government.

"There's little doubt that Mr Leonard's case isn't an isolated one. Throughout the country, landowners are already counting the potential cost of Labour's Mugabe-style land grab.

"I urge everyone concerned about the land access issue to join me in opposing it. If enough people stand-up against Labour's dopey proposals, the more likely the Government will have to listen and scrap it - just like it did with the `fart tax'," Mr Eckhoff said.

Gerry will be visiting Buller, the West Coast and Nelson this week as part of his land access bus tour.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>