The Otago Land Valuation Tribunal has backed farmers in their case against the inclusion of amenity values in rents for high country pastoral leasehold land.
This is a victory for farmers and common sense.
The previous government had instructed valuers to include amenity values including views and privacy when assessing rents farmers with pastoral leases pay.
It would have meant steep increases in the cost of farming the high country which bore no relationship to its earning potential.
Rents have always been set on land exclusive of improvements and the tribunal’s ruling has backed this stance.
Jonathon and Annabel Wallis of Minaret Station took a test case to the tribunal with the support of the High Country Accord.
It has been an expensive and worrying process for them and their supporters.
The ruling could be appealed but the change of government makes that unlikely.
Ministers have been careful not to pre-empt the judgement but earlier statements from them on the matter suggest they will not only accept the tribunal’s ruling, they will be supportive of it.
Alf Grumble’s approval of the ruling suggests he will be lobbying for that. Although I suspect that won’t be necessary because unlike the previous administration this one appreciates that a sheep isn’t worth any more because the land it grazes has a good view.
The ODT and Southland Times have reports on the case.
Posted by homepaddock 
Homepaddock 