COASTAL AFFORESTATION

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 4411, 30 October 1934, Page 3

COASTAL AFFORESTATION

FAVOURED BY HARBOUR BOARD. At yesterday’s meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board Mr F. C. Railkes reported on the activities of Mr M- A. Elliott, and his Palmerston North committee regarding the afforestation of the coastal area between the Manawatu and Rangitikei rivers proposal and sought the backing of the Harbour Board in the scheme. Mr W. E. Barber (Chairman of the Manawatu County Council) said that as far as the Manawatu County Council was concerned it was not prepared to commit itself to anything until it was known what outlay would be involved. It was very much in favour of the proposal and would assist in every Avay possible but if supervision and other matters which it was desired the Council should undertake, were going to be a buiden to the ratepayers then it could not see its way clear to take the scheme up. However a survey of the southern area from the Manawatu River south had already been made and he understood that everything was in order there and: the work of establishing a seedling nursery was now in progress. As far as the area between the Manawatu and Rangitilkei was concerned, a large proportion of the top end belonged to the Crown and a considerable area in the south to the Harbour Board. In between there was private land and he thought there might bo some difficulty in planting this. The County Council had been offered the trees on maturity in return for its assistance but it wanted to see the titles fixed up first. , ' .

Mr.. .Raikes said that he did not think there would be any difficulty in having the private area planted. The Palmerston North committee was quite confident of success. Mr. Barber thought that the Harbour Board should still proceed with its planting scheme. It was decided to forward a letter to Mr Elliott, expressing the Board’s appreciation of the work already canned out and offering the Board’s wholehearted support to the scheme.