18Special provisions relating to sale by auction

### 18 Special provisions relating to sale by auction > > (1)  Where the Minister proposes to sell any Crown land by auction he shall cause to be published in the *Gazette* and a newspaper circulating within the district in which the land is situated, at least a fortnight before the date on which the auction is to be held, a notice setting out the time and place of the auction and the particulars of the land intended to be sold. > > > (2)  *\[Section 18 Subsection (2) amended by No. 23 of 1978, s. 6 and Sched. 1 \]*The Minister may, in respect of the sale by auction of any Crown land – > > > > > > (a) [*\[Section 18 Subsection (2) amended by No. 17 of 1996, Applied:19 Mar 2002\]*](/view/html/inforce/2002-03-19/act-1996-017#AT@EN) withdraw the land from sale at any time before it is sold and sell it by private treaty at a price which is not less than the reserve price fixed in respect thereof by the Director-General; and > > > > > > > (b) reserve his right to bid at the auction up to and including the reserve price fixed by the Director-General; and > > > > > > > (c) bid or cause bids to be made on his behalf at the auction. > > > (3)  *\[Section 18 Subsection (3) amended by No. 23 of 1978, s. 6 and Sched. 1 \]*Where bids made at an auction do not reach the reserve price, the Minister may – > > > > > > (a) sell the land to the person making the highest bid at the auction; or > > > > > > > (b) request the Director-General to review the reserve price thereof with a view to fixing a fresh reserve price and offer the land again for auction at the reviewed reserve price. > > > (4)  *\[Section 18 Subsection (4) amended by No. 23 of 1978, s. 6 and Sched. 1 \]*Nothing in this section shall be construed as obliging the Minister or the auctioneer to disclose the amount fixed by the Director-General as the reserve price of any Crown land before or after its sale by auction. > > > (5)  Where any person conducting an auction of any Crown land makes a representation in respect of that land which he knows or ought to know to be false and, as a result of that representation, loss is suffered by the purchaser of that land, the Minister shall make good that loss.