SOLDIER SETTLEIMENT.

Auckland Star, Issue 123, 24 May 1919, Page 5

SOLDIER SETTLEIMENT.

NORTH AUCKLAND BOARD

MOVING

GREAT AREAS TO BE OPENED.

GTTM RESEKVATIONS UPLIFTED

NEARLY SO,OOO ACRES FOR EARLY SETTLEMENT.

IN THE BAY, HOKIAXGA, AND MANOONUI.

KAWAKAWA, this day. The North is jmrt now greatly tickled by die story of a lady who recently won 'the first .prize at an Ohaeawai fancy dreaa ball by parading, sombrely attired in red tape and moss, as the Government eoldier settlement policy. But whatever may have been the shortcoming of the Lands Department in the Auckland district in the past- and 1 think it may toe said, without exoneration, that " the North is simply seething with indignation at its impotency and conrervan-m the newly-constituted North Auckland Board is apparently making a courageous effort to live down the reputation of the Department, and to prove that it means to tackle the pressing problem of soldier

settlement on more sympathetic and resourceful lines. In respone to an inquiry by your representative as to lands e'ar-iiiarked for early subdivision and settlement by soldiers, the Department in Auckland has forwarded maps showing areas to the aggregate extent of nearly SO.OOO acres to be developed in the 'near future. These are the principal blocks, and there am. I i<ni!er-;and. a few smaller areas that will considerably c= well the total.

THE MATX BLOCKS.

The n ivin blocks are as follow— ' ACQUIRED IMPROVED LANDS. 1 (•rawford s Estate 1%% ! Ki-nniera K.stMte 4 on.) Estate t.xi\ ] Lilis- Estate 1,701 , (MM ia:sßi;vt:s and citCHVN I j LAXTSS. ' llanponiil Conntr— |* Takahue-Whanirnpe Rlrn-k e.Sflfi ' East Maiiffouui 1'.10.k 7.-JOO J •Iloklanga rounty - , l I'arewkawa 1!1,>,-k r..o<v, ' 11-uuakltere Bln,-k S.^To Motukaraka Uloi-k 770 1 I , Cay or Inlands Onnnty— Manpipnrenna Rlock ....' rt.flGS : Kajilro Blork ■ Kerlkori Riock il.ooo I'araulraui Block u.(AX> lluiubeuul (Kuapefcapeka) Bl«-k 2j^35 Total 7«, MS It will be seen that the Xorth Auckland Boards action implies the opening ■up of tiie guuiianilb of the North on a w.,le scade. Doubtless this will necessitate the granting of fairly large sections, requiring considerable capital to fence, plough and manure, and whether the Board h;w any proposals for the join: purchase of machinery, seed and manures, and the working of the bigger J blocks in accordance with a general development plan, remains to be seen. THREE CATEGORIES. , Roughly the blocks may be divided ■ into three categories: (1) Improved lands 1 : privately owned and purchased by the ( : i iuvernment for sub-division. (2) Crown 1 j lands. (3) Gurnland?, from which the ■ I reservations have, or will shortly, be lifted. Information has already been pub- . lished regarding several of the estates purchased for sub-division. The followi ing points of interest regarding other I blocks were culled to-day from northern residents who are familiar with the lands in question: — MANGONUI COUNTY. Paunders' Estate.—This is an area of I 13:21 acres, mainly in block 3 of Takohue ' Survey District, Mangateti Parish! It is accessible by road from Awanui, Kaitaia, and Mangonui. It has still to be sub-divided into sections. j Takahue Whangape Block.—This is a block of O.s:'.!> acres of bush land re-subdivided into -'-i sections. It comprises parts of blocks 0, l<), and 14 Takahue Survey District, and is at the j south-westerly extremity of the county. I It is watered by the Waikawa, Otane- | roa, Manoa, and Alangatukutuku streams nnd tributaries, and is bordered on the west by the State forest reserve lin Block 13. Several roads run through ' nnd near it. and it is within easy dist ance of Kaitaia and the Herekino I River. This is described as good bush country. Mangonui East Parish Block. —An area of 7 - JOO acn-s of land in blocks 2, 6, and 7, Mangonui Survey District, now under survey. This is described as mostly open land. At the time of writing I could get little information concerning it, but it has considerable frontage to Taimaro Bay and at its south-westerly extremity almost abuts on the eastern side of Mangonui Harbour. It is within easy distance of Mangonui by road. Apparently it is well watered. HOKJANOA COUNTY.

Punakitero Block. —Also known as Rakawaihi Block. This large area of 5275 acres, formerly a kauri-gum reserve, is slightly south-west of Omapere Lake. It comprises almost the whole of blocks 13 and 14 Omapere Survey District. Part of it is in bush, but it is mo-tlv open country. Those who profess to know it stated that there are approximately 1200 acres of good land in the south-east, the remainder being I gum-land, n> which a description was applied which temporarily may be withheld pending a personal visit. Kaihohe station is fairly close, and the extension of the line to' Okaihau will apparently gprve tlie blfii-k. It connects by road wtih the Horeke coach road. Motukaraka Block.—A small blor-k of Crown bind. 7T."> acres in area, all bush with timber, divided into three sections. Turtimi of Blr.rk 0 Manframuka Survey District. Connects by road with Kohukolui. Pnreakawa Rlo'-'.<.—An area of 3.655 acres of hushlind already subdivided, in the Whansape Purvey 'District. It has a long frontage to the Awaroa River land is served by the Bmarlwood and Valley roads. If the land in the neighbourhood h any criterion, it should be good quality bush. BAY OF ISLANDS. Kapiro Block. —This is the major portion of the Kapiro Kauri Gum Reserve, comprising 1ii,7.'52 acres in the Kerikeri and Kaeo Survey Districts, and of very irregular shape. It is described a3 generally open country, and is subdivided into 31 sections of from 178 acre 3 to 554 acres. It is said to be fairly level, wita a south-easterly fall towards the coast, mid much, of it ia ploughable. It is near i

the Kerikeri inlet, is crossed by the main North Road, and is tapped by numerous other roads. Maungaparcnua Block.—Also a kauri gum reserve Iα Kaeo Survey District, stated to be poor gum land with the exception of portions along the edge of fairly pood quality. It is mostly white clay. There is a good road from Waipapa to Pungaere—the northern end, while the south-westerly portion ifl served with Ellis' estate, by a good road from Okaihau. Ellis' Estate.—An area of 1,791 acres, mainly in Kaeo and partly in Omapere Survey Districts, adjoining" the Maungaparnua block at the lower westerly boundary. This has just been purcliaspd by the Lands Purchase Board, and is to bo subdivided immediately. It was part of the Puketi Bush, and those who know it state that it is secondclass land which will require to lie cut up into fairly large areas. There i 3 a road from Okaihau. Kerikeri Inlet Block.—An area of frown land of iI.OOO acres abutting on the Kerikeri inlet, comprising parts of Blocks 10 and 11 Kerikeri Survey District and Blocks 2 and ?. Kawakawa Survey District. It is partly swnmp which requires draining, ami a section scheme is in course of operation. There is deep water access, and the Work is near the Pakaraka - Whansaroa - Manironui Road. The swamp lie? to the north, but between that and the East Coast is a ridge of good country. Parahirahi Block.—An arcv of !),nOO acres of Crown 'lands in the Omapere, Pun:ikitoro, and Mo+ntau Survey Districts. It is described as mostly open land with some and is subdivided

i into 2fl sections. The northern portion [is giim land. In the tail end. bordered! by the Punakitere Stream, is some very , pood, well-watered hush land, for the opening of which returned soldiers of the North have long been agitating. This, however, was kept closed until the ad- 1 vent of the North Auckland Board, on the plea that there was timber on it. The nature of the major of the country requires that considerable areas of land shall be given to the settlers, and the division of the estate into 29 sections, gives an average of 300 acres. The lower part of the area is perhaps better known a= the Rakaotau Bock. The' railway passes through the block, and the Maungakahia-Kaikohe Road runs! parallel on the west. I Ruapekapeka Block.—An area ofj 2525 acre-: of Crown land, about linlf in I bush, subdivided into three sections.' i Steep and hilly land. The gullies are in hiuvy bush, and the spur* being burnt oil". " Tin- area is miiinlv In Block 11., Hukerem.i Survey DLtrict, nn.l there is a road to Kiuakawa The whole of the above comments are unofficial, and are from information supplied by Northern residents. They are I given as some indication, to the ioeale and g-eneri! character of the blocks. |