Farming
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www.guardianonline.co.nz
Wait and see on station ownership Farmers are keeping an open mind about overseas farm ownership after a Czech Republic businessman won consent to buy 40,000 hectares of high country land near Arthur’s Pass. The Overseas Investment Office (OIO) has approved the sale of Mt White Station on mostly Crown pastoral land for an undisclosed price to Lukas Travnicek, under his company Southern Ranges. Travnicek is a permanent New Zealand citizen, but needed OIO approval because he returned temporarily to the Czech Republic with his family in May last year. The OIO requires him to return to New Zealand in just over a year and live here indefinitely. If unable to meet the conditions, he must sell the property. Public concern has heightened about iconic high country land going to foreigners, yet farmers appear to take a more favourable view of the ‘bigger picture’. Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury president Michael
Tim Cronshaw
RURAL REPORTER
Salvesen said people were sensitive about overseas ownership, but the complex issue was often not as clear-cut as it appeared. He said Mt White Station needed a lot of investment. Overseas owners did not earn much from high country properties, but they employed local contractors and this was good for the local economy. Also, much of the country’s forestry land was overseas owned, yet that was perceived as less of a problem and there was a lack of consistency in how it was viewed, he said. “One side is it’s absolutely dreadful because we are selling our land to foreigners and the other side is it’s bloody good because no New Zealander could afford to buy it so
somewhere we have to have a sensible conversation.’’ Salvesen is a Scotsman and bought his farm under OIO approval. He personally did not agree with Pamu (Landcorp) planning to sell Jericho Station in Southland to Chinese buyers, until they withdrew, when there was virtually a matching offer by a Kiwi farmer. “It’s a complex issue and we have to look at the bigger picture. I suppose that’s what the OIO is there for and by and large they get it mostly right.’’ Mt White Station includes 39,337 hectares of Crown pastoral lease land and 678ha of freehold land. The sprawling station with about 30 kilometres of river frontage was sold for the first time in 90-plus years, after previously being held by the Turnbull family since 1924. LINZ Crown Property deputy chief executive Jerome Sheppard said the pastoral lease land remained in Crown ownership and existing public access to parts of Mt White Station and protection of its conservation values
would continue. The property includes almost 1000ha known as Riversdale Flats, which was set aside for inclusion in a national park in 1901. This did not happen when Arthur’s Park National Park was created in 1929, and the land was included in the Mt White pastoral lease in the early 1950s. This land has been leased and grazed as part of the station since the 1890s. “LINZ has been working with the Department of Conservation, and will meet Mr Travnicek’s representatives to begin discussions about
Riversdale Flats,” Sheppard said. “Mr Travnicek has indicated that he is keen to find a solution.’’ As Travnicek applied under the residency pathway of the Overseas Investment Act, he did not have to show benefits to New Zealand, including walking access and the OIO was unable to make access a condition of consent. Salvesen said Mid Canterbury farmers were good at providing access to back country land depending on the intentions of visitors and the timing of the farming season.
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