ACQUISITION OF DAYS BAY BUSH

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 50, 28 February 1914, Page 3

ACQUISITION OF DAYS BAY BUSH

OPINION OF LOWER lIUTT'S MAYOR. When spoken to upon the subject of tho acquisition of Day's Bay Bush, the Mayor of Lower HuU (Mr. E. P. Bunny) suggested, as he had done previously, that the Government should acquire the bush portion of the property under the Scenery Preservation Act, as proposed by Mr. C. P. Skerrett, and should bear the whole cost, of the transaction. He pointed out that there was considerable expenditure under the Act in acquiring places of scenic and historic interest in remote parts of the Dominion, which the vast majority of the people in the four large centres had no opportunity of ever visiting IS or instance, he continued, the Tongariro National Park was only available to a few settlers in that vicinity and tourists, while an occasional' glimpse was obtained by travellers on the Slain Trunk line between Auckland and Wcl*' lington. He thought a welcome change in the administration of the Act would be for the Scenery Preservation Board to acquire lands near the larger centres," where the great mass of the people would have every opportunity ;of participating in the undoubted benefits of the Act. He quite agreed with Mr. JM'Ewan (Mayor of Petone) that the suburban .boroughs would resist any legis lation promoted to compel them to con* tribute. Petone and ■ Hutt had each borrowed a considerable sum of money in securing suitable recreation grounds, and spent a fair proportion of their rates in the maintenance of the grounds The Upper ,Hntt Town Board, he added, was apparently contemplating acquiring land within the district for a similar purpose, while Petone was also considering the purchase of f,he Percy estate. "I think the most that should be asked of the suburban boroughs," continued Mr. Bunny, "is that they should support the proposal to acquire Day's Bay as the scenic reserve of Wellington, under the Act. Undoubtedly the acquisition of the Day's Bay grounds would be of great advantage to the citizens of Wellington, and would also assist Eastbourne and its fleet of ferry boats, in providing an attraction for the people on week-ends and holidays." Mr.Bunny concluded by expressing the opinion that the councils of Eastbourne and Wellington should find the money required for the grounds other than the portion to , be taken by the Government.