Tamihere Prepares for Major New Land Grab

Monday 9 Sep 2002 Press Releases -- Environment & Conservation

The Government is preparing for a major land grab that will take property from rural land owners using the excuse that the public needs greater access to streams and lakes, ACT Conservation Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff warned today.

"The Government is using a Land Information New Zealand review as a clear pretext for taking land off private property owners. I'm amazed that new minister John Tamihere is preparing to oversee a major new land grab. Given his own work fighting against historical property right abuses of Maori land, I am stunned that Mr Tamihere has sanctioned the LINZ review.

"Mr Tamihere's reasoning for the review and proposed land grab - that it is "in the public interest" - is the same rationalisation that President Mugabe is using for taking land in Zimbabwe.

"There is no access problem in New Zealand to streams and lakes, and there never has been.

"United Future MPs should speak out immediately and state whether they believe in the sanctity of private property or not," Mr Eckhoff said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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