Low-ball offer referred to Auditor-General

News that the Government has ignored official advice and slashed pay-outs for the remaining properties in Christchurch’s residential red-zone by half, will form part of a complaint to the Auditor-General, Labour’s Earthquake Recovery spokesperson Lianne Dalziel said.

“The original advice from the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority’s was to offer affected property owners – those with commercial land and bare sections in the residential red zone - 100 per cent of the most recent rating valuation.

“The Government has ignored that completely and slashed its ‘offer’ to half the rateable value. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound. It’s a low-ball by anyone’s definition.”

“National has been deluded by its own rhetoric that the original red zone offer was a ‘voluntary’ offer.

“When the Government says it will compulsorily acquire your property in the future - once its value has been reduced - then that is not voluntary.  Applying duress fails every standard of informed consent.

“The original residential red zone offer produced winners and losers. This just produces losers.”

Lianne Dalziel said that she is preparing a formal complaint to the Auditor-General about the Government’s handling of the residential red zone offer, which will be lodged this week.