HoS has story on a Sir Michael Fay led bid for Crafar farms.
This sale has become a symbol of our ability to retain economic sovereignty in New Zealand hands. A massive donation as been given to the national party in what I hope is a misplaced effort to get agreement to a Chinese buyout from Bill English.
I agree with Fay when he said
“Crafar farms have significant potential and this offer makes it clear that there are New Zealand buyers for these properties.
“I believe that retaining dairy farm land in local ownership is a key to maintaining long-term control of New Zealand’s key export earner and also key to retaining our trading advantage.”
But I still think that it is appropriate for the state owned farm developer Landcorp to get involved. They should buy, clean up and on sell the farms preferably to individuals who are currently share milking. The government is currently blocking this.
hmmmmm – so one of the group of wheeler dealers who managed to rip several billion dollars out from NZ taxpayers with the connivance of the labour government of the time is now seen as the great hope for NZ?
If it is a two horse race I think I’d rather have the chinese as buyers…..
@nadis. Tell me again who sold the Railways ? Get your decades right.
The most important thing is to get the best possible price. I doubt either Landcorp or Michael Fay will pay that. Therefore overseas buyers are the best option especially as they will give opportunities to New Zealand Managers and staff.
As far as Landcorp is concerned the properties it owns should be among the first assets included in the Public/Private asset sales envisaged by the NACT Government.
so you want to buy these farms, do them up and sell them?
Yes – you are right, let me take out the specific labour reference. However the fay richwhite “business acumen” spanned both governments, and that period from 86 to 95 was a disgrace in terms of management of public resources by our elected reps.
A quick google search turned up the following quote from Russell Brown:
“In which case, let me say that again: anybody who believes those two ratbags to be any kind of heroes, any sort of role models, is utterly deluded. Disgust seems too weak a word for how I feel about those people.”
Here, here.
Agreed Trev.
@pdm @jabba. That is what Landcorp mainly does. It is the old Land and Survey which has a very long history of land development and on sale. the best farm management team in the country – with the ability to move staff onto new projects pretty easily.
Landcorp also has a role in large scale genetic development and systems trialling. Unlikely many if any of the Crafar farms would be a good long term fit for that.
Trevor, that is a bold statement “the best farm management team in the country”
Good farms and farmers, but not by any means the best farm management team in the country…
So if Landcorp purchased the farms and did them up and sold them, these would be single entities, of which could quite possibly be sold to offshore owners…. Trevor, are you getting things a little twisted, this means that in the long run, you are not opposed to selling assets offshore…
Certainly the best of any scale.
And of course the OIA, or at least the policy settings, needs to be amended to stop farm sales to non residents.
Where ever Fay goes financial ruin follows not far behind?
When did he get back from Europe
The merits and demerits of Michael Fay aside, your comment about a “massive donation as been given to the national party in what I hope is a misplaced effort to get agreement to a Chinese buyout from Bill English” is confusing and I can find no on-line reference to that donation to clarify the situation.
You are intimating that the donation was by someone connected with the Chinese offer but the point of raising the issue is not clear.
So who gave the donation, how much, when did they give it and who else have they made donations to?
Forgive me for thinking Mr Fay sees a profit for himself in all this… pay less than the Chinese for the sake of “patriotism” –
Fay cares about NZ Yeah RIGHT!
Yes. This makes me angry
I agree with Trevor
Make it an election issue – we have many young couples that could be learning the art of farming on these separated out farms. They must not be sold as one big block or even a couple of large blocks and how do we know that Fay won’t onsell to external buyers anyway?
The Chinese can get over their thoughts on xenophobia; I don’t want anyone but New Zealand owning farmland through Landcorp which must remain in New Zealand crown ownership
Landcorp would be perfect to act as mentors to future workers of the land and the production of meaningful exports. The land should not be owned by anyone but covenanted on behalf of all New Zealanders and the land and its earning potential used for the future training and well-being of New Zealanders. From a financial meltdown to a country-owned exporting food resource would be a best buy.
We must not let this government betray us yet again.