Legal specialists are recommending property owners affected by the blueprint for Christchurch's new central business district think twice about disputing the Government's process for acquiring their land.
Hundreds of business owners and operators gathered for a free seminar on Tuesday where the experts gave an overview of the major legal issues.
Land required for the new city plan will be subject to either compulsory acquisition or acquisition by agreement.
Commercial, corporate and property law specialist Michael Wolfe advises owners to take a long, hard look at both options.
He says agreeing to the acquisition has the benefit of removing uncertainty and the risk of lengthy litigation, and allows property owners to move on with their lives.
Property dispute specialist Janine Stewart says the only option for those who don't want to lose their land will be to seek a judicial review, but it will be difficult to overturn compulsory acquisition.
"It will require proof that the Minister is acting outside his powers, that he has abused the process in some way or hasn't followed the process."
