PUBLIC RESERVES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12999, 15 December 1902, Page 9

PUBLIC RESERVES.

■ «■ —■ FURTHER ACTION BY MR ELL. SECTIONS OX THE PORT HILLS. When the Minister for Lands passed through Christchurch a short time ago, Mr H. G. Ell, M.H.R., waited upon him, and urged that the Government should. do Something to obtain public reserves, especially of bush land, in this province. Mr Ell pointed out that the Government re ; ceived large sums of money from Canterbury, and very little was returned.? The request for reserves, he added, was a moderate one, and he thought the Government ought to do something to preserve what' little native bush remained in the province. If all the native bush disappeared the native birds would go also, and thhre'would be a double loss.

i‘.The Minister expressed a wish to know What bush still existed on private lands in the province, and promised to look into the matter.

/ Subsequently, Mr Ell saw Mr T. Humphries, Commissipner of Crown Lands, who stated that, by the direction of the Minister, hp was collecting information in regard to bush on Bank’s Peninsula, and W>buld forward it as soon as possible. The Commissioner also stated that he was preparing an exhaustive report-on the native bush throughout the land district of Canterbury. ; It

t ' Mr Ell, in conversation with a reporter yesterday, 'said that he still thought the Parkinson bush, at Kaituna, was worth preserving for the sake of the public, notwithstanding what Mr Cockayne had said in regard to the destruction of the undergrowth. He thought that that gentleman had viewed tiro matter from an enthusiastic* botanist's point of view, and naturally lost interest ,in the bush when he found that it was not in a virgin state. Quite apart from that, however, the bush was Well worth preserving because it still afforded shelter for many birds, and many trees still remained. Mr Ell expressed his pleasure at the fact that the Beautifying Association intended to inquire into the position of other pieces of bush on the Peninsular.

Continuing his remarks, he spoke strongly in support of reserves being secured without delay on the Port Hills. “ The question Is really a serious one,” he said.v "We have absolutely no reserve on those hills except Victoria Park, which is too' far away, as if a family is taken there a whole day has to be devoted to the outing. What we 'want, are reserves of from .five to ten or twenty acres, situated every mile.or so' along the foot of the hills. > We want these public reserves to be within easy , reach, so that people can spend an afternoon, or even an hour or so, on the green hills and in the fresh breezy, atmosphere.. At present the public have nothing out'the dusty road. Being on absolutely fiat country, ■ Christchurch is in more need of such reserves than .is any other ,city in the colony. Action should be taken at once, as in a very few years the land! will .become so costly that much difficulties will he thrown in the way of ohtaihing it.,.'l may say lam very glad to note that th 4 St Albans .Borough Council has moved in the matter, and has passed a motion asking the Government for; some assistance in securing these reserves on the hills. It would be much better, however, if a combined effort was made by all the boroughs in the vicinity of Christchurch, the Road Boards, and . the Selwyn County Council.

“There is another matter, of a somewhat similar nature, that deserves consideration. Steps should be taken to preserve the waste places on country roads. On the road to Tai Tnpu, for instance, there are several road-side Wastes, under the control of the Road Boards. They sometimes form little grassy banks, suitable for picnicking, camping, and resting places jfor cyclists. The Road Boards* with a reprehensible greed, have been "actually allowing these beautiful little spots,, which are a convenience to the public, to be fenced in with a rough wire and untidy, unsightly posts'. Some of the pieces of land are leased for grazing, and some have been transformed into potato patches. A little grassy bank, with a growth of native flax, on the banks of the Halswell, and close to"‘tho road leading to Mr E. H. Rhodes’s residence, is an illustration. An unsightly fence has been run round it, a roujh whare has been erected on the spot, and the little reserve has been devoted to cultivation. We need a little more public sentiment, and k little less of the mercenary spirit. The river banka should bo allowed to retain their natural features as far as possible. Approaching Mr Rhodes’s house, there is a narrow strip of sWampy land, where the native growth is undisturbed. This reserve was placed in the hands of the Tai Tapu Road Board to be maintained as a. reserve of native growth. About eighteen months ago I was passing by it with a friend, and noticed that a portion was under,cultivation. Inquiries elicited the fact that unless something was dons the whole of the native growth would be swept away, and the whole" of the reserve would bo handed over to cultivation. I wrote to the Halswell Road Board urging that no more Native growth should be destroyed, ahdi That the portion cleared should be planted with native trees. I have never received a reply, but I have been informed by a member of the Board that it had actually taken advantage of my information, and/had ap- . plied to the Tai Tapu Board, which is the controlling body, for half the rent derived from the misuse of the reserve. Finding that the Road Board had no sympathy , with/ me, I brought the matter under the notice .of the Minister of Lands, who immediately communicated with the body that had* committed this breach of a public trust. He will take control entirely out of its hands, and I am endeavouring to induce him to place it with'some authority which will carry out the trust in the interests of the public, keeping in mind, the purpose for which the reserve was created. The Minister is in full sympathy with the idea, and is determined that the original object shall be kept in view. I have written to the Halswell Road Board pointing , out that settlement has .cleared away most of the native growth, and the patches that remain are practically the only representations of what the country looked like before Europeans came. The New Brighton Beautifying Association, by the way, is setting a good example in preserving in its native state a swamp in the neighbourhood of the', borough. It is time that something should be done on the banks of the Avon and the Heathcote. The winding roads that run along : side by side with these streams might be made really beautiful.”