MAORI LAND COURT

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 10

MAORI LAND COURT

Judge Reserves Decision

Decision was reserved by Judge G. J. Jeune in the Maori Land Court, when he heard an application for an order appointing the Maori trustee agent, on behalf of the owner or owners, to execute an alienation on two blocks near the waterfront at Port Levy.

The Court was told that one acre of the land was covered in boxthorn and Government grants made in 1957 to control the weeds had been ineffective. The blocks were described as “the seed bed for the rest of the area"

The Mount Herbert County Council, which brought the application. considered that the land, together with an adioining piece of land of four acres and a half, would make an excellent camping ground. Half an acre of the adioining land is covered in boxthorn

Judge Jeune said that if the application was granted to the Maori trustee as agent for the land, he would be obliged to lease the farmable land before any sale could be entertained. An alternative would be to vest power in the Maori trustee agent to sell the land on other grounds and this would require Ministerial consent, said Judge Jeune. Pigeon Bay Lease

The Court made an order authorising the Maori trustee agent to lease a block of 77 seres and adjoining blocks at Pigeon Bay. The application was brought by the Wairewa County Council. It was stated that the land was suitable for leasing provided that the rent at the start of the lease was low enough to attract persons taking the lease to clear the weeds from the land.

Judge Jeune said during the hearings that there was a difference between the applications heard on Tuesday and those heard at the last sitting of the Court.- On the previous occasion, land with gorse eight to nine feet high was dealt with, he said.