Stop The Sale Of Young Nicks Head Say Greens

18 July 2002

The Greens are challenging Michael Cullen to stop the sale of Young Nicks Head before the election.

"I encourage Michael Cullen to meet with Ngai Tamanuhiri on site and discuss the importance of Young Nicks Head with tangata whenua," said Rod Donald, who visited the occupation today.

"Mr Cullen should make a decision before the election about whether this New Zealand icon should fall into foreign ownership."

"Under the Overseas Investment Act, it is his responsibility to only approve the sale of this land if he believes it is in the national interest," said Mr Donald.

"I challenge him to justify upfront, right now, why it would be in the national interest to sell this land. We expect Mr Cullen to stop the sale of the headland because of its significance to all New Zealanders.

'I admire Ngai Tamanuhiri for their willingness to agree to a compromise which allows Mr Griffin to buy the farmland and for the iwi to buy the headland.

Green Party policy is to stop the sale of any further land to foreign corporations and to individual foreigners who don't live here.

"In April last year I called for more stringent rules on the Overseas Investment Commission to stop rubber-stamping of applications," said Mr Donald.

"A million hectares of New Zealand coastline and farmland is already owned offshore. That represents 6.6 percent of our commercial and productive land. Enough is enough."

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