Bulldozing In Tongariro Area Causes Concern

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30586, 31 October 1964, Page 17

Bulldozing In Tongariro Area Causes Concern

"Th* Press” Special Service WELLINGTON, Oct 30. The Lands Department is expected to insist that any damage to fishing facilities caused by bulldozing on the Tongariro river bank must be repaired. Stone crushing and screening being done there are for Ministry of Works contracts in the area. On behalf of the Justice Department which owns the land in the area, the Lands and Survey Department about February this year negotiated the lease af 36 acres of former Tongariro riverbed to Mr j. F. O’Toole, of Taupo for shingle extraction. The licence was signed about June, subject to such conditions as the Waikato Valley Authority might impose.

The firm has been bulldozing an access track to the area. Files in Wellington show that conditions for the work were still being discussed with the authority as recently as last week.

Mr E. J. Lynskey, deputy - Director-General of Lands, inspected the site and reported to the Minister of Lands, (Mr Gerard.)

“Flurry” In Capital

Reports of damage to fishing facilities caused quite a flurry in the capital. The Prime Minister, (Mr Holyoake) and the Minister of Works, (Mr Allen) conferred on the matter.

The Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) called for a report from his department on the shingle recovery venture. At a meeting of the Waikato Valley Authority the acting chairman, (Mr L. C. Logan) said the erection of the stone crusher near a fishing pool on the Tongariro River had been done without the authority’s knowledge and approval. Mr Logan said he had authorised the secretary (Mr J. H. McKenzie), to draw the immediate attention of the Minister of Works, (Mr Allen) to the erection of the stone crusher. Mr McKenzie told the meeting that the Crown Lands Department in Wellington had issued a licence for the extraction of Tongariro metal before the authority came into the picture. Two trees had been bulldozed into the river, but their removal had since been ordered. Since the Tongariro scheme had been approved the authority’s office had buzzed with requests from persons wanting to get into the area for sand and metal, Mr McKenzie said.

The district electrical engineer at Hamilton, (Mr W. J. Shanks) said the power line to the crusher site had not been installed by the Electricity Department as had been suggested. It had been erected by a power board. The meeting decided that the chairman and executive officers should inquire into the granting of Tongariro metal licences and should write a report for consideration by the shingle and sand licensing committee. It was also decided that the authority should be represented on a technical committee to be set up to enable discussions on licences to be made between the Ministry of Works, the Internal Affairs Department and the Taupo County Council.