Fury grows in the high country
15 November 2007
HIGH COUNTRY
ACCORD
MEDIA RELEASE
IMMEDIATE
Fury grows in the high country: Gov’t “duplicitous”
The High
Country Accord is advising its members not to accept a
government offer to negotiate rent reductions with farmers
who can’t afford to pay, until a legal challenge to the
Crown’s rent valuation methods has been heard by the
courts.
The government today released the findings
of an official enquiry by the expert Armstrong Committee
which found that high country rents are being set at levels
which are neither fair nor equitable.
However,
the government has decided to continue setting rents using a
formula for rental valuations which includes amenity values
like mountain views for which the Armstrong Committee found
“no rent can be legally charged”.
High Country
Accord chairman Ben Todhunter says the government’s offer
of rent reductions is duplicitous.
“They have
cooked the valuation formulas to make rents unaffordable,
despite an official report which tells them they are acting
illegally. Then they announce that they will negotiate lower
rents with farmers who can’t afford to pay,” he
says.
“High country farmers are becoming more
furious by the day. They pride themselves on being guardians
of the landscapes they are privileged to
farm.
“So they find it very hard to understand
that a government could be so cynical and duplicitous, and
treat responsible citizens with such
contempt.”
[ends]