ABANDONED LAND

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4125, 20 April 1949, Page 8

ABANDONED LAND

PROBLEM IN COROMANDEL HANDICAP TO PROGRESS A meeting was held on March 30 in the Coromandel county office to present the case as prepared to date regarding the so called abandoned lands of Coromandel. Thtjre were present to take part in the discussions Mr A. S. Sutherland, M.P., Mr Barber of Land and Survey Department, Wellington, Mr Lome of Chief Surveyor’s Office, Auckland, Mr Ripley, field officer of Land and Survey Department, while representing the county council were Mr E. Deeble, chairman, councillors F. H. Purdom, S. Strongman, T. V. Whittle and J. H. Reddy. The Chamber of Commerce members were Messrs A. S. Tonkin, H. Ball, C. Kelleher, C. H. McKenzie and T. Jane. A general discusion first took place in order to give the ’Government representatives the background of the reason why it was deemed necessary to take the trouble, time and expense needed to clear up what is admitted to be a most unsatisfactory state of affairs. Different local members gave particular instances of the progress and growth of business in and around Coromandel in the last few years and the steady demand for building sites from people who wanted to move to Coromandel for various reasons. From time to time questions were asked and answered, then after morning tea adjournment the county eJerk explained from the prepared plans the pictures as presented by the different townships showing acres of paper roads and many sections of extremely small size which would never, as far as could be visualised, be needed in that form or for the purpose as originally suggested. The land so locked up was needed but not in its present paper surveyed state. After lunch, Mr A. S. Tonkin gave instances from certain documents he had brought along to illustrate the need for some special legislative authority to enable transactions to be registered. Free discussion took place in order to bring out any points or questions so that all the complexities presented could be known in order that the Government officials would be able to , suggest the wording of a draft clause or bill to meet the situation.

After a full day the members travelled via Hauraki road into the Wynyard township area to see the ground and then the next day went as far as Colville to get a background picture of what supports Coromandel from that way.