ACT is backing action by Gore farmers against a Council proposal to designate the entire territory a Site and Area of Significance to Māori.

ACT Rural Communities spokesperson Mark Cameron says:

“As glorious and historic as Gore may be, it’s just not credible to say the entire district is a culturally sensitive site. The Council’s proposal looks more like a land grab.

“The Treaty of Waitangi settlement process already allows for restoration of land use rights to claimants. There is no need for any council to get ahead of this process by locking up the productive potential of vast swathes of land.

“Section 6 of the Resource Management Act has given local bureaucrats broad powers to run roughshod over property rights. The good news is the Government is in the process of amending, repealing, and replacing the RMA. With ACT in Government, Andrew Hoggard and Simon Court are putting property rights at the centre of new resource management rules.

“This begs the question, why is Gore District Council proposing such a massive change that is likely to be made untenable by new legislation? It’s not just a land grab, it's a waste of time, money, and attention.”

© Scoop Media