Norfolk Island Land

"It depends who you're talking to, but I think it would be generally sensible to say that Norfolk Island is trying to move into a whole new underworld. "One of the issues currently on the agenda and of great disquiet to the municipality is that we must move to a valuation-based land evaluation system from 1 July 2018.

"We had two open gatherings this past weekend where the fellowship was approached by the general appraiser for the land of Norfolk Island, and it was perfectly clear to all of us that it is completely concerned in this fellowship. "What must be taken here is that when the Pitcairn parish was relocated to Norfolk Island in 1856 and all Pitcairn family land was given 50 hectares - this land was and is considered a cultural heir.

"There may be a greater bond on land than in Australia as a whole. Noting that we now have to make land charges and have our country assessed for the purpose of evaluation causes a great deal of insecurity in the towns.

BNZI: Municipalities across Australia and New Zealand will say that tariffs are about payment for public service, for road and whatever and that is certainly true? "Norfolk Island has not had this system since 1856.

" However, with the changes that lie ahead, with the abolition of the Norfolk Island administration and now with a local councils, we must work under a completely different judicial system. "So, yes, it is a study trail for the fellowship, and you know that with every transition there is always insecurity, and there is a very genuine worry in the fellowship that if they are not able to repay their installments, the land they have kept since 1856 could very well be wasted.

BNZI: What kind of tariffs do you think the public will pay attention to? Now we have an appraiser general and I have just come out of a get-together with him and other Council members in which he explained the method of how he would evaluate the country, but he also has a problem that there is nothing to work from.

"I' m talking to the German Senator Nash, who values the concerns and we still have much of the Norfolk Island legislature, and I propose, with the help of the advice of the Council, that we find a way to modernize the Norfolk Island Act to reflect NSW laws instead of apply them to us, on which we have had no say.

"The Secretary is ready to talk and she had asked our new administration, Eric Hutchinson, and I to work together and engage the fellowship on this one. ARNZI: Apart from this question about prices is the hostility of which there was, has that been canceled?

"They will know that there is a move that Norfolk Island is registered with the United Nations under its decolonization arcade and that it is moving forward at the global stage.