The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Land-sale lobbyist rejects racism tag

By Adam Bennett
NZ Herald·
8 Oct, 2010 04:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Photo / NZ Herald

Photo / NZ Herald

Remuera property developer John McKearney - the man behind the Save Our Farms group opposing land sales to foreigners - says he is no racist and welcomes overseas buyers prepared to move here and become New Zealanders.

Established against the backdrop of Hong Kong-listed Natural Dairy's bid for about 8000ha
of farmland previously owned by the Crafar family, Save Our Farms is seeking a moratorium on the sale of all agricultural and sensitive land to overseas investors.

It began running expensive full-page advertisements in daily newspapers last week, a day after the Government revealed its long-awaited review of overseas investment rules.

Under the new rules, ministers with the final say on applications to buy farmland will have greater ability to consider New Zealand's economic interests.

But Save Our Farms says the changes are still too weak.

Mr McKearney, who said he created and had now funded Save Our Farms to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars, said the campaign would continue with a series of billboards in main cities.

Natural Dairy spokesman Bill Ralston said his clients were puzzled by the stance of Save Our Farms.

"It seems to be an ignorant kneejerk reaction. They don't appear to have researched the subject or made any attempt to understand the economics of it. They've gone straight to the visceral core prejudice of New Zealanders against foreigners."

Natural Dairy this week released the results of a poll suggesting there was a racial element to opposition to land sales to overseas investors.

The poll showed 41 per cent of respondents were "extremely uncomfortable" with Chinese ownership of farmland against 27 per cent who felt that way about American ownership.

The results were issued about the same time the Overseas Investment Office said it had approved a $34 million sale of 1760ha of Central Otago land to US investors.

But Mr McKearney said his group had been misrepresented as xenophobic. He was a passionate New Zealander but welcomed overseas buyers of farms who were willing to commit themselves to this country, pay taxes and send their children to school here and to gain citizenship within a certain period.

"If they don't do that, they should put the farm on the block and get out."

Save Our Farms is made up mostly of wealthy businesspeople.

Group spokesman, lawyer Tony Bouchier, said it had formed around Mr McKearney and others who met while studying for the Master of Business Administration at Auckland University in the early 1990s.

The group also includes former Fletcher Challenge chairman Kerry Hoggard, who was chairman of farm chemicals producer Nufarm, which last year rebuffed a takeover bid from China's Sinochem but agreed to Japan's Sumitomo Chemical taking a 20 per cent stake.

This week Prime Minister John Key said his Government was unlikely to be swayed by the group's campaign.

Find out more

savethefarms.org.nz

Discover more

Agribusiness

Fears over US pressure

08 Oct 04:30 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Four rescued from BoP floodwaters

05 Jun 05:41 AM
The Country

East Coast MP highlights Government's after-hours and urgent medical care investment

05 Jun 04:03 AM
The Country

Top drop: Hawke's Bay Merlot crowned best in world at global awards

05 Jun 03:34 AM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Four rescued from BoP floodwaters

Four rescued from BoP floodwaters

05 Jun 05:41 AM

Fire and Emergency responded to two incidents to rescue four from floodwaters.

East Coast MP highlights Government's after-hours and urgent medical care investment

East Coast MP highlights Government's after-hours and urgent medical care investment

05 Jun 04:03 AM
Top drop: Hawke's Bay Merlot crowned best in world at global awards

Top drop: Hawke's Bay Merlot crowned best in world at global awards

05 Jun 03:34 AM
'Best wool in the world': Partnership aims to grow sector

'Best wool in the world': Partnership aims to grow sector

05 Jun 02:30 AM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP