Stopping the sales

New Zealand group Save Our Farms, who say local farms should not be sold to overseas investors, have launched an advertising campaign to stop foreigners buying up agricultural land. The campaign was rolled out as the Crafar family returned to court seeking a court order to stop the receiver evicting them from a farm in Reporoa in the Bay of Plenty. Hong Kong-based company Natural Dairy is bidding to buy 16 Crafar farms being sold by receivers. Save Our Farms’ spokesperson Aucklander Tony Bouchier, a former policeman turned lawyer, thinks that future generations must have the country’s land intact, rather than owned by overseas investor giants. Bouchier said the group wanted a national debate on the issue of overseas ownership of New Zealand land and the Government needed to take urgent action. “New Zealand must retain ownership of our primary resource, the land and waters of Aotearoa New Zealand,” Bouchier said. Currently a government review is underway to make the sale process more transparent and simplified. The review, which was initiated in 29, will also hopefully shed light on the quantity of lands sold.