21 February 2007

Public out of pocket from tenure review process

The 2005/6 financial review of Land Information New Zealand by the Primary Production Select Committee released today shows that the Government is getting less than $1 a hectare in rental from South Island high country farmers on pastoral leases.

"This is a bad deal for taxpayers who are not getting fair value," Green Party Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei says.

"This very low rental also disadvantages the Crown in obtaining good outcomes for the public when negotiating with farmers over the division of land in the tenure review process."

"As it is more land has been free-holded to farmers than has been returned to the Government. Furthermore the Government has paid million of dollars in total to these same farmers in compensation for the portions of land they are handing back to the Crown to put in the conservation estate.

"If the Government were to receive a fair rental for pastoral lease land, the valuation process used in the tenure review would reflect the land's true value and result in more being returned to the Government.

"These farmers have had a pretty good deal from taxpayers for many years. The Government should stop this review process and re-evaluate it so that it delivers the outcomes the public expects," Mrs Turei says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media