RAILWAY EXTENSION

Grey River Argus, 23 September 1944, Page 4

RAILWAY EXTENSION

TO SOUTH WESTLAND WELLINGTON, Sept. 22. In the House to-day, Mr W. M. C. Denham (Govt., Invercargill), on behalf of the Public Petitions Committee, presented .a report on a West Coast petition asking for an extension of the South Westland railway from Ross. The Committee recommended the petition to the Government for consideration and investigation. Hon. J. O’Brien ' (.Minister of Transport) thanked the committee and referred to the value of an extension of the railway, particularly for opening up Large areas of milling timber. The Minister claimed that the report of the committee of departmental heads which was set up by Mr Savage in 1936-37 to examine the advisability of extending the railway into South Westland was a “remarkable” report. It had alleged the country was unsuitable for farming and that the population was unlikely to increase. Mr O’Brien said the population had increased by 50 per cent, between the last two censuses. There was much valuable farming country in the river flats of South Westland, for instance in Wataroa, river flats were 44,000 acres of good farming land which could produce 4601bs butterfat per cow.

A debate on the committee’s recommendation was adjourned to enable fuller discussion at a later date.