Government talks on buying landmark

The Government is seeking to cool the row over the sale of Young Nicks Head - just five days away from the general election.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen yesterday floated the possibility of the Crown's taking ownership of the landmark headland, said to be the first New Zealand land sighted by Captain James Cook in 1769.

Dr Cullen said he had asked Conservation Minister Sandra Lee to get the Department of Conservation involved in finding a solution to the dispute.

"This may involve the Government, through DoC, taking ownership of the headland area," Dr Cullen said.

American John Griffin wants to buy the 661ha Nick's Head Station from a New Zealander living in Australia for $3.2 million, subject to Government approval.

The sale, being looked at by the Overseas Investment Commission, has drawn the ire of Ngai Tamanuhiri. Some of the iwi's members have occupied the land and the tribe wants to buy about 200ha, including Young Nicks Head, and place it under a covenant for all New Zealanders.

Protesters staged a march on Saturday against the sale.

They said a hikoi (march) to Parliament would start on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Helen Clark confirmed that "all options are on the table" over the land but denied the election was influencing Government actions.

"This issue happens to have come up in the course of a campaign but it wouldn't matter when it had come up - the same issues would have been raised about New Zealanders' access to their historic heritage.

"We're keen to see that access to this very important part of the heritage of all New Zealanders continues, so we've just got to keep working on it," she said.

Young Nicks Head is the site of a 600-year-old Maori settlement and contains 15 archaeological sites.

Captain Cook named its after 12-year-old crew member Nicholas Young, who spotted it.

In the march on Saturday, about 100 protesters walked the 30km from Muriwai to Gisborne City to voice their displeasure at the proposed sale.

DoC director-general Hugh Logan says he has not ruled out the possibility of an offer to buy the headland but it is too early to tell what will happen.

A Ngai Tamanuhiri spokesman, former MP Tutekawa Wyllie, has welcomed the announcement from Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia that he supported the iwi in its actions.

Mr Wyllie said a group of 12 iwi representatives would leave the occupation site at dawn on Wednesday to begin the 550km journey to Parliament.

They aimed to reach the Beehive in time for the first sitting of the new coalition Government and would set up camp in Parliament grounds.

"We will not be moving until we get our cliffs back."

- NZPA

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