10. Hon DAVID CARTER (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Land Information
Why did the Government commission the Donn Armstrong report on the land tenure review, and what is the total cost of the report so far?
Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister for Land Information) Link to this
The Government commissioned the report as part of its work on rentals for high country pastoral leases and tenure review. I am advised the total cost to date, including consultants’ fees and disbursements, is $156,476. The report examines issues that had not been closely looked at since the 1982 Clayton report, which found that charging on the basis of land exclusive of improvements is the most satisfactory basis for assessing the rentals of pastoral leases.
Which stakeholders in the tenure review process have been consulted since the Government received that report in February this year?
The report, and the Government’s preliminary response to it, will be released this Friday. We will start with lessees in Christchurch.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. In no way does that answer address the question. I did not ask when the report would be released—on Friday. I asked whom the Government had been consulting with, as the Minister has had the report on his desk since last February.
Madam SPEAKERYes. I was making the point that stakeholder engagement on the report has not commenced. It will commence on Friday, and we will start with lessees.
Hon Marian HobbsThe Government is reviewing how well tenure review is dealing with biodiversity, particularly lowland biodiversity, and with landscape issues, especially around lakes.
Why has the Government deliberately avoided discussing the contents of that report with high country farmers to date, particularly when the Minister has made repeated promises to do so?
Given that the Minister promised to release the report to farmers in July this year, promised to release it to the Primary Production Committee in July this year, and promised the House in September this year that the report would be made available, why has he broken those three promises?
On none of those occasions did I make a categorical promise. It has taken longer than I expected, but the report is to be released this Friday.
If the Donn Armstrong report concludes that current rentals are higher than can be justified, will the Minister stand by the assurance given by his predecessor, Pete Hodgson, that rents would therefore be lowered?