OHAWE DOMAIN

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 17 February 1921, Page 4

OHAWE DOMAIN

DEPUTATION TO HON. D H GUTHRIE. The Mayor (Mr E. Dixon) and Mr' Duffill waited upon the Hon. D. H. I Guthrie, Minister of Lands, at the Hawera railway station last evening with' the object of gaining certain concessions or privileges which would make Jhawe Domain serve its purposes more fully as ajileasure resort than it. does at the present time. ' With the aid of a map showing the reserve' controlled by the Domain Board, the '. beach and intervening native lands,; . the position was placed.very clearly' . before the Minister. I Tl./_ _a...r*f _3.«5rw-H,, ~*-.£„**.i.Z j.!._J

j.iio cmer cmncuity conironung trie' Domain Board, the Mayor explained,' was the native ownership of lands, and. though it was thought when last, a Minister was interviewed, that it would, be easy to arrange matters, they were in the same position as they were some' years ago. The Domain Board had1 control of about two acres of /grassed land, and there had been as many as 1000 people on the beach at one' time, and they wanted, if possible, to exchange a portion of the grassed lands for part of the basin on the beach, so that bathing sheds, etc., could be erected. The Commissioner of Crown Lands, as well as the Prime Minister, thought that the matter could be arranged, but so far they were right up against it. The Education Board had a reserve between the Domain and the beach, which was to be \ put on the market as leases almost immediately. The Ohawe Domain Board had a good water supply ! in its reserve, sufficient for all its purposes, if it could only be conveyed to the beach, \ and they "wanted to know ,if permission dould be given to run the pipes along the road to the beach. I Mr. Duff ill said they wanted to know jif the Board could 6pend money outside of the Domain and in taking .the j water to the bathing sheds. j Mr. Guthrie: If you can get a piece of land in the basin you will have con- • trol over the beach. j The Mayor: With the permission oi the County Council we could take th« . water along the road to the beach. ; Mr. Guthrie:,lf the line could be fallowed and' they "had part of >the basir ; there would be no doubt about th< : Board's power to spend money in this way. Unless there was a legal ob- ; struction he would put no obstacle ii their way. He had arranged at anothei place down south where there were tw<

domains for the funds from one, w*hichi was merely a grazing area, to be used on the other. If the funds were used on ground which was not a domain there would be a real objection. If they could tell him what benefit- the pipe line would be to the Ohawe Domain he would tell them in a moment what they could do. ( The Mayor suggested that the ceil-, tral piece of the reserve, which was to be offered for sale by _ auction, might be retained and the pipe line carried along this portion. He also mentioned that the Domain was gradually being5 carried away by the sea. He asked the -Minister if it would be possible for the Board to lease the portion! of the Education reserve he had referred to. Mr. Guthrie: Tes, for the benefit of the public. Mr. Duffill pointed out that an old redoubt stood upon this land, and said they would like to get it if they had the power. MV. Gtithrie agreed with the fitness of this proposal. -he Minister informed the deputation that he would see Mr. Bullard, Commissioner of Crown Lands, at New Plymouth and see what could be done.