Rural Land Access Could Get Ugly

ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today called on all rural landowners to unite, and send the message to the Government that unhindered access to private land will not be tolerated.

"The goodwill that landowners have shown to the public over the years is now being exploited," Mr Eckhoff said.

"In much the same way as Robert Mugabe - who began by taking selected areas of land -Labour is exploiting rural landowners for political advantage. And, while this supposedly affects only those lands attached to a water body, it's only a matter of time before all rural land is subjected to open access.

I predict that this move - which essentially amounts to confiscation - will inevitably result in physical confrontations, as farmers seek to resist this encroachment of their property rights.

"Responsibility for these confrontations can be laid at the feet of Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton - not the landowner, who is justifiably seeking to protect their private property rights," Mr Eckhoff said.

© Scoop Media