SETTLEMENT ON LAND

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30144, 30 May 1963, Page 8

SETTLEMENT ON LAND

Opportunities For Civilians

Young fanners now had some opportunity of getting State-developed farms for themselves, said the Minister of Lands (Mr Gerard) yesterday when he spoke to the annual meeting of the Can-terbury-Westland division of the National Party. Last year, for the first time in many years, civilians had toe opportunity of getting some of the lands developed by the Lands and Survey Department, he said. In the year, 97 farms were ballotted and more than 80 went to civilians.

On land development, the Minister said the department had just on one million acres under development or being grass farmed. The land was carrying one million sheep and 166.000 cattle, and the income last year was £3.2mWhile there had not been much development in Canterbury. the department could claim credit for the work it had done in purchasing North Canterbury farms where nassella tussock had taken over and made clearing uneconomic for a farmer. Mr Gerard said it was essential that the political head of the Lands and Forests Departments should be one person. It was inevitable that there should be a tu§ between the departments over the use of land, and where there were two Ministers each pushed a little for his own department. '