AN ISOLATED SPOT

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 15, 17 July 1929, Page 10

AN ISOLATED SPOT

CLAIMS OF OKURU

BETTER ACCESS WANTED

A number of settlors in the Okuru district, situated in the southernmost portion of Wcstland, "waited on members of the Government to-day with a request that an item should be placed on the Estimates to provide for the erection of a wharf at Jackson's Bay, and for the completion of a road from Okuru to the port. The isolation of the district was stressed by the deputation, and reference was made to the possibilities.of tho locality from a laud settlement point of view. Members of the' Government present were tho Prime Minister (the Eight Hon. Sir Joseph Ward), the Minister of Lands (the Hon. G. AY. Forbes), aud the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Eansom).

Mr. J. O'Brien, M.P. for Westland, introduced the deputation. What was wanted was a better means of access so that the land might be more closely settled. There were 32,000 acres ! awaiting settlement, auS the Forestry Department estimated that there were 800,200,000 feet of timber available for milling at once. The deputation was asking that a sum of money should be placed on the Estimates this year to provide a jetty at Jackson's Bay and a road to Okuru. Mr. O'Brien pointed out the advantages of Jackson's Bay as a port, remarking that it was the closest point to Australia. The country was well suited for dairying, and lastyear Mr. Nolan had produced twentyfive tons of cheese at tho factory which he had established.

Jir. W. At Bodkin, M.P. for Central Otago, referred to the advantages of the Haast Valley from a dairying point of view, and said the natural outlet for that area was Jackson's Bay. If the work suggested by Mr. O'Brien was undertaken it would provide an excellent means of absorbing some of the unemployed. ■ * Mr. W. D. Nolan extolled the vir-. tues of Jackson's Bay as a port, and said with the expenditure suggested it could bo capable of sheltering the largest steamers which visited New Zealand. At present they had a very irregular steamer service, and the onlyother way of communicating with the outside world was by a pack-horse mail. - Mr. Nolan dwelt on the potentialities • of the Okuru district, and said those, potentialities would never bo realised until there was an improved means of access. The settlers wero optimistic - about their chances now that there was , a Government with a progressive land I policy. The completion of the Haast Pass track would improve their outlet, [but it would not be sufficient to allow them, to export their produce and their timber. Mr. Nolan said he did not think there was a more isolated spoc'in New Zealand than Okuru, and if— the Government aid as the deputation" suggested its name would live for all", time so far as Westland was concerned.' Other speakers supported the re-" marks of Mr. O'Brien and Mr. Nolan. : ' Replying to the deputation, the Prime" Minister said that the representations would be fully considered when the Government was going into the question of the Public Works Estimates iv about six weeks. He could not anticipate public works expenditure at this June-, ture, but when a deputation came from such a distance it was only right that its representations should be given most careful consideration. The road which! was asked for was an expensive one ' and he did not think it could be com--pleted within a short period. It was estimated to cost £70,000, and they could not reasonably spend that sum . on what was admittedly an isolated dis- ' trict with very few settlers. Tho matter of a wharf at Jackson's Bay was that the wharf would be of any preat ■• deal of money, but he did not suppose . that the wharf would be of any great use until the road was completed. They only, had a certain amount of money to spend on public works, and this year they would have to exercise care in drawing up the Estimates. The aspect of settlement possibilities was one that would have to be taken into consideration, as would the question of tho" timber resources of the district. Tho " Prime Minister assured the deputation that the three Ministers present would keep the representations before them when tho Estimates were beinir tire- • pared. * ■