BUSH CONSERVATION

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXI, Issue 10920, 21 September 1932, Page 2

BUSH CONSERVATION

REPRESENTATIONS RY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. The following letter from Mr K. M. Graham, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland, was read at the meeting of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce on Monday night: Referring to your letter of June 8 with regard to certain areas in the Tauranga district, which your Chamber wishes to be set aside for scenery preservation purposes, I have to point out that a greater part of the areas are freehold lands, and at the present time I do not consider that there is any possibility of public moneys being expended on the acquisition of these areas. It seems to me that your Chamber should approach the various owners and ascertain whether they are willing to hand over, free of charge, the areas required for scenery preservation. Your Chamber, of course, realises that if the owners decide to take this course there would be survey and title expenses involved, and I presume that you will have the funds available to cover these charges. In the event of the owners being unwilling to take the above course the only alternative I can suggest is that you ask them to make every effort to conserve the bush for the present. It might be possible in the future to review the question of the acquisition of these areas.

For your information I am enclosing photostats of the areas and the following are the names and addresses of the registered owners of the different blocks:—

I.—Vicinity of the Boulder Bridge. Part Ongaonga No. 1 Block. —No registration in the Land Transfer Office. A list of the Native owners could probably be obtained from the Registrar of the Native Land Court, Rotorua.

2. —Ake Ak;e Road. —Mo’ukunui Block. Registered owner, Owen Mahon, of Auckland, manufacturer’s agent—otaunu Block (Crown land): You will note that this road runs mainly through the freehold block, but there will probably be no difficulty in setting aside the small area of Crown Land required out of the Otauna Block.

3.—Waiorohi Gorge, in Te Papa Parish:

Section Part 389, registered owner, Charles Walter Gamman, of Tauranga, sawmiller. Part 389, Harry Thomas Wathen, of Auckland, settler.

Part 389, Arthur Henry Thistlethwaite, of Oropi, farmer.

Part 390, Robert Patterson, of Oropi, farmer. Part 390, Robert Patterson, of Tauranga, settler. Part 391, Arthur Henry Thistlethwaite, of Oropi, farmer. Part 392, John Benjamin Rogers, of Oropi, farmer. Part 392, Lot 2, John Benjamin Rogers, of Oropi, farmer. Section 560, Jesse Seales, of Oropi, farmer.

Section 563, Samuel Fleming, o’ Oropi, farmer.

Section 564, James Charles Seales, of Tauranga, farmer.

Section 565, William Littlehales, of Oropi, farmer. Section 566, James Charles Seales, of Oropi, farmer. Section 567, James Charles Seales, of Oropi, farmer. 4.—Area adjoining the Kaimai Road.—This is a provisional State Forest under the control of the Conservator of State Forests at Rotorua, who has advised me that he is taking every precaution to see that the scenic beauties of this block are not destroyed. In view of the fact that this area is sufficiently protected by its reservation as a State Forest, no further action appears to be necessary. I enclose a piece of litho, showing the relative Gazette reference.

It was agreed that the letter be referred to the Scenery Preservation Committee previously appointed by the Chamber of Commerce.