LAND LYING IDLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 27, 1 February 1940, Page 16

LAND LYING IDLE.

ROTORUA DISTRICT. SCHEME FOR DEVELOPMENT. SEVENTEEN THOUSAND ACRES (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) ;■ ■ ' * KOTbKUA, this day. The possibility of complete utilisation of 17,000 awes at present lying idle or only partially fanned in the Rotorua district is at present under consideration by the"-District Council of Primary Production. A report upon some lands in question has already been submitted to the council by oflicers of the Department of Agriculture, and a recommendation that steps bo taken to develop the area has been forwarded 10 the Depart-

merit, together- with ti suggestion that' Public Works machinery be employed for clearing the laud. / : The greater~part of the area concerned is * in "the Ka'haroa district,' between Rotoiua and Tauranga, and lias deterior • ated owing •to bush sickness and .other causes. . .It» is.«considered, however,* that recent developments ;: in ; combating this type of stock ailment have .been so successful that, with the use of cobalt and--suitable licks the area can now be successfully farmed. A survey snowed that of the .total area of 17,084 acres in tlie> Kaharoa district 3223 acres are" Crown* lands, mostly bush and broken open country, 3730 acres are privately owned and not farmed. ISOO acres are used- for occasional grazing and 8900 acres ore used for farming, but arc capable of 100 per cent improvement. The report also mentions that other large areas, capable of considerable' improvements ore in the Te'Pu, Auturoa and Mamuku districts. The report suggests that improvements could be done much more satisfactorily with the aid or Government machinery and . assistance than by private enterprise.