Supreme Court rules Pascoe Mt. Messenger land acquisition negotiations were improperly outsourced

Supreme Court rules Pascoe Mt. Messenger land acquisition negotiations were improperly outsourced

Tony and Debbie Pascoe (Inset). The Supreme Court has upheld an appeal by Taranaki farmers Tony and Debbie Pascoe, finding that land acquisition negotiations for the Mt Messenger bypass were improperly delegated, undermining the process used to move toward compulsory acquisition of their property. The case centred on whether the Minister for Land Information met obligations under the Public Works Act 1981 to “make every endeavour” to negotiate i…