Overseas buyers are lining up from all countries to purchase our land. In the last five years New Zealand, through the Overseas Investment Office has approved the sale of 150,000 hectares of agricultural land to foreign owners.
We believe the Government must take urgent steps to address overseas ownership of our lands. The first step to place a moratorium on the sale of Crafar farm and other sensitive agricultural land to overseas ownership until there has been informed public debate and suitable protections incorporated into a review of the Overseas Investment Act 2005. New Zealand must retain ownership of our primary resource, the land and waters of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Overseas investment can bring positive economic benefits to New Zealand and there are a number of examples, equally there are examples where those benefits quickly move off-shore. Much of our prime wine growing areas are now in overseas ownership. Can we afford to sit back and let this happen to our large farms and the communities they support?
The culture of New Zealand is one of partnership with the land and the waters of Aotearoa. As partners we ask for the chance to be heard and the opportunity to best protect our land for future generations.
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