Big Coast land plan

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33454, 8 February 1974, Page 2

Big Coast land plan

‘Sem Zealand Freis Auoctatiorn WELLINGTON, February 7. I'he Ministry of Agriculture has recommended that 15.000 of the 40.000 acres of barren wastelands, known as pakihis, in the Westport district, be developed into beef and dairy farms.

The recommendation has been sent to the West Coast Hegional Development Council. The West Coast had <47,000 acres of pakihi. said the Ministry. •‘These former barren Wastelands, after a long and taried history of investigation for farming, now represent one of the most proiuctive soil types for grassland farming on the West Coast.” This meant that the retource of farmable land on |he West Coast was more than doubled. Prompt return “This large underieveloped capacity in farmland is extremely relevant to the development of the West Coast —and none more so than the 40.000 acres in the Buller County.” Most of this lay within a 10-mile radius of Westport; <2,000 acres held by the Crown, and 18,225 held priCately. The Ministry proposed that 15,000 acres of the Crown fend not already grassed Ihould be topdressed with Ime. superphosphate, seed Ind trace-elements during the Ipring of 1977. Grassing, together with Iccess drainage and water’ reticulation, could have the Wasteland “into productive ftsture land inside two years, hich means that the contribution to a regional economy Irom developing pakihi is almost immediate.” Dairy needs The Ministry recommended that of the 15.000 acres, 8000 Ihould be used for dairying Ind 7000 for beef farming. “The priority for dairying Items from the need of the Karamea Co-op Dairy Company to increase its production from 1.5 m lb of milkfat !o 3m lb for its continued economic profitability,” the teport said. The West Coast Regional Development Council said today that the Minister of Lands (Mr Faulkner) had sent in assurance that development of the pakihi land would proceed as quickly as (ossibte. Funds would be made

available to private farmers wishing to develop the land, Mr Faulkner said. At Nelson Creek, about 32 kilometres from Greymouth, a new farm settlement will be developed on Crown land and State forest land. The release of the forestry area has been approved by the Minister of Forests (Mr Moyle). Public access will be provided across the State forest land being released, to give entry to the Mawhera and Hochstetter forests. Tiie new block, mostly unimproved. includes some open pakihi, a gorse-covered area. 52 hectares of young exotic forest, and some native bush. Care of bush Development of the 1932hectare (4775 acres) block will he done by the Lands and Survey Department. But the area in standing native bush will not be developed at this stage, and marginal strips of bush and an unusual bog pine association will be reserved for scenic and scientific purposes. according to the member of Parliament for the West Coast, Mr P. BlanchHeld. Development is expected to be at the rate of about 120 hectares (300 acres) of oversowing a year, beginning this season, and taking about 10 years. Estimates showed that by then the block would carry about 12,000 stock units and would be capable of subdivision into at least three good sheep and cattle farms, said Mr Blanchfield.