PUKENUI FOREST.

Northern Advocate, 3 June 1920, Page 2

PUKENUI FOREST.

SHOULD IT BE CONSERVED?

BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY RESOLU-

TION.

A discussion took place last niglit at the annual meeting of the Beautifying Society concerning the proposed denuding of the Pukenui patch of kauri forest. . The chairman (Mr. Hanlon), deplored Iho destruction of such a resorve. He remembered when Hikurangi and Puhipuhi were beautiful districts of kauri forest, but the bigger trees had been cut out, and the smaller ones burned off. They would be glad to get to-day those they burnt off then. He thought it would be a great pity if the Pukenui forest, which was one of the last remaining examples of the kauri, and only two miles by aeroplane direction and iive by road from Whangarei, should be cut down to build houses. • Dr. Mcllraith moved: "That this meeting expresses to the Borough Council its regret at their decision to use this forest for building purposes, and hopes it will be possible for the council to ro-considev its decision." Mr. Clayton-Thome did not agree with the resolution, and Messrs. L. T. Pickniere and F. Cutforth pointed out that a protest was really a matter for the Crown Commissioner, as the council understood this land would be opened up by the Crown, and they were simplystepping in tp secure for Whangarei I dwellings timber that otherwise would be cut down and probably shipped away. Dr. Mcllraith therefore altered his motion so as to make the protest to the Crown Commissioner instead of the council. Speaking to it, the doctor said there was timber enough to build the required houses if it were not shipped away. They would be told that unless timber was shipped away New Zealand could not secure the sleepers and* coal that Australia exchanged, but he thought the difficulty could be got over, and in any case it was not a sufficient reason for destroying scenic value like the Pukonui forest of kauri. He was the last in the world to hinder the building qf workers' dwellings—he realised their necessity—but he did not feel convinced that the only way to get timber for them in Whangarei was to destroy this kauri forest. Mr. F. Higgingson, who seconded the motion, said cheapness was not the only thing to be considered in getting timber for these Houses. Mr. J. D. McKenzio said ho spoke with great diffidence upon a matter concerning a public body, but this was an exceptional caso and he felt strongly that the Pukenui kauri area ought to be conserved. The resolution was carried, with one voting against.