Crafar given reprieve over eviction

Allan Crafar. Photo / Christine Cornege.

Allan Crafar has won a temporary reprieve from a legal challenge to kick him off his farm, while experts examine the authenticity of tenancy agreements he handed over to the courts.

The former head of the country's biggest private dairy operation is fighting to stay on his property at Reporoa after his empire went into receivership last October.

Receivers KordaMentha are trying to get a court order to remove Mr Crafar from the property, after he rejected an offer of six months' free rent if he left the farm on April 9.

In the High Court at Rotorua yesterday, the judge presiding over the case ordered Mr Crafar to hand over the printer that produced the lease documents so their veracity could be tested by the police document examination section.

The Crafars are arguing they are allowed to stay on the properties under a lease agreement dated June 15, 2006, but Associate Judge Anthony Christiansen said there was a "significant challenge" to the document's authenticity.

Forensic examination of the lease was inconclusive, the court heard, and the judge ordered the printer used to create it be made available for examination, as requested by the receivers.

Mr Crafar consented to an examination of the printer currently at the farm, but said he could not guarantee it was the same machine that would have been used in 2006.

The case has been adjourned until September 20.

Mark Sandelin, for KordaMentha, said "obviously the veracity of the leases is an issue before the court".

The court had earlier ordered the Crafar family to hand over the original tenancy agreement of their home so it could be analysed by the police.

Mr Crafar, who is representing himself, said he was confident the receivers did not have a leg to stand on in their bid to kick him off his farm. They were grasping at straws.

"KordaMentha now want to check out my printer. They do not buy the forensic reports into the tenancy agreements. They should be sacked."

Meanwhile, Mr Crafar has expressed disappointment at the need for a nationwide campaign by a new group, Save the Farms, to halt the sales of farms to foreigners.

Remuera property developer John McKearney wants public support to convince the Government to stop the sales until the country has had a robust public debate.

Mr Crafar said: "Get rid of the receivers and give the farms back to fourth, fifth and sixth generation New Zealanders then you wouldn't need a campaign."

Natural Dairy, the Chinese firm bidding to buy 16 Crafar farms, said it welcomed debate on the value of its proposed investment in the dairy industry, but said it should be based on facts, not emotion.

"The group proposes what is effectively a closed-door policy to any overseas investor who wants to invest in New Zealand farming," it said.

"This would spell disaster for the economy, reduce export earnings, cost jobs and lead to the pastoral industry stagnating."

It said that New Zealand would miss out on substantial benefits if Save the Farms' proposed moratorium prevented Natural Dairy from purchasing the Crafar farms.

- additional reporting Daily Post