LAND LAWS AMENDMENT.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 257, 11 October 1928, Page 6

LAND LAWS AMENDMENT.

IMPORTANT CLAUSE. Acquisition of Settlement Land. Parts 11. and 111. of the Land Laws Amendment before the House are of considerable general interest and importance, as will be noted by the following excerpts:— Part 11. Settlement Lands. 3. This part of this Act shall be -- read together with and deemed part of the Land for Settlements Act 1925 «*(in this part of thi| Act,referred to as the principal Act). 4. (1) Any two or more persons qualified to acquire land that is subject to the principal Act may make application to the Dominion Land Purchase Board with a view to the acquisition by the Crown on their behalf of any private rural land. (2) Every such application shall be accompanied by:— (a) An offer in writing in the prescribed form for the sale of the land to the Crown, made by on or behalf of the owner or owners thereof. (b) A plan showing the proposed scheme of subdivision as between the applicants, and the existing or proposed roads affording or which will afford access thereto. (c) Such documentary evidence as

may be required with respect to the ' . means of the applicants in relation to the purchase of the respective subdivisions, the stocking thereof, and otherwise in respect of the profitable occupation of the land comprised therein. (3) If in the opinion of the Dominion Land Purchase Board the land to which the application relates is suitable for acquisition under the principal Act and for subdivision in accordance with this section it shall

I cause the matter to he referred to the I Land Board for consideration and reI port. (4) On receipt of the Land Board’s report the Dominion Land Purchase Board shall forthwith proceed to consider the application and offer, with reference to the settlement of the applicants on the land to which such offer relates, and shall as soon as practicable forward the application and offer to the Minister with such recommendations as it thinks proper.

(5) The Minister may thereupon, ' if he thinks fit, direct the Dominion Land Purchase Board to negotiate with the owner for the acquisition of the land under the principal Act, at a price to be determined by that Board, not exceeding the price specified' in the offer. (6) Before the acquisition by the Crown of any land under this section is completed the several applicants shall be required to pay to the Receiver of Land Revenue such amouni as the Minister may determine, being hot less in' any case than 5 per centum Sf the estimated price to be paid by the applicant for the subdivision proposed to be allotted to him. (7) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the principal Act, any land acquired under this section may be sold without competition to the several applicants, for cash or on deferred payments, at prices fixed In accordance with the provisions of sub-section four of section 54 of the principal Act, but shall not be disposed of otherwise than as provided herein.

f (8) The amount deposited by the several applicants in accordance with sub-section 6 hereof shall be dealt with by the Receiver of Land Revenue as follows: (a) In the case of a purchase for cash it shall be credited to the purchaser on account of the whole sum due by him on the land.

f (b) In the case of a purchaser on j deferred payments it shall be credited | to the purchaser on account of the i whole sum due by him of. the land, ■ and the balance of the purchase j money shall be payable in the man- ! ner prescribed by section 82 of the j principal Act with respect to the purchase on deferred payments .of setj tlement land comprised in leases in perpetuity.

j (c) In the case of failure on the part of the applicant to complete the purchase, or to execute his license I within 30 days after being required by written notice so to do, the Land Board may by resolution declare tile ; amount so deposited to be. forfeited to His Majesty, and the right of such person to complete the purchase shall j thereupon cease and determine.

(9) The provisions of section 6S of the principal Act shall apply with respect to lands sold under this section on deferred payments in .the same manner as they apply to lands leased under the principal Act. Part 111. General. 5. Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section 2 of section 101 of the Land Act 1924 the interest of any occupier of Crown lands may be sold pursuant to section 79 of the Rating Act 1925 for non-payment of any rates levied after the 31st day of March, 1929, to any person qualified to acquire such interest and approved in that behalf by the Land Board of the land district in which the land is situated.