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February 17, 2022
Gisborne Council keen to squeeze gold from kiwifruit
Adam Gifford
Posted On February 17, 2022
Download AudioA Māori agribusiness leader is disappointed Gisborne District Council is appealing a Land Valuation Tribunal decision blocking it from adding the value of a kiwifruit gold licence to a rating assessment.
Wi Pere Trust chair Alan Haronga says Māori growers account for about 10 per cent of kiwifruit gold production, so they’re keenly watching the outcome of the appeal.
The test case was brought by Gisborne kiwifruit grower Tim Tietjen’s Bushmere Trust, after the assessed value of his 5 hectare property shot up from $1.65 million to $4.1m once G3 Gold Kiwifruit licenses were included.
Mr Haronga is surprised it’s being appealed.
“The decision of the Land Valuation Tribunal headed by a judge and expert people was well-considered and quite emphatic that the kiwifruit licence is not an improvement to the land or a benefit for the lands,” he says.
Mr Haronga says the half a million-dollar hectare licence cost means growers have to be careful with their sums and can expect around an 8 per cent return on new orchards or up to 12 per cent if they are converting from green.
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