Answer to high-country tenure

A solution to the high-country land tenure review process (July 7), under which the Crown has paid out more than $65 million with more to come, is to follow the precedent established by the Forests Amendment Act 1993.

Under this act, the Crown took control of freehold privately owned native forest. Logging per year is restricted to less than the amount of wood that grows annually and is allowed only after forest owners have developed a Sustained Yield Plan costing them several tens of thousands of dollars.

Also, 20 per cent of the forest has to be set aside for conservation with no logging allowed. After dispossessing the private forest owners of considerable wealth the Crown has not paid a cent in reparation.

Surely our lawmakers can develop a similar act to achieve the Crown’s objectives for the high country – which the Crown already owns. With no expenditure by the Crown and no compensation to pay, the exercise must be a no-brainer.

In fact the Forests Amendment Act template could be applied to any situation where the Crown wishes to take over private property, and at no cost to the Crown.

So, property owners, beware. Barry J Donovan, Ladbrooks two Canadians but I did watch Ms Southern’s balanced video on the failed state of South Africa, called ‘‘Farmlands’’. All you apartheid warriors will be so happy to learn South Africa has come full circle.

We all have to be prepared to defend free speech, particularly from the group thinking of the ‘‘progressive’’, read illiberal, Left.

Paul Grainger, Merivale