Idle Lands in North Will Be Developed —P.M.

Northern Advocate, 5 April 1949, Page 4

Idle Lands in North Will Be Developed —P.M.

KAIKOHE, Tue. (Sp.) .—Development _ of idle lands, with particular reference to Northland is one of the most important listed in the Government’s intended projects. This was stated by the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) in an interview given to the Northern Advocate immediately prior to his departure from Kaikohe by air for Wellington yesterday afternoon.

It was not possible to state exact plans ,said Mr Fraser, as these had not yet been worked out in any detail. A number of major difficulties had yet to be surmounted, but things were improving to the stage where the work must soon become thoroughly practicable. At present, no particular districts had been earmarked for this plan of development of non-producing lands. Accordingly, he could not provide facts or figures at this stage. Urgency of the problem was fully recognised by the Government and it would be tackled in a sane and levelheaded manner. MAORI LAND DEVELOPMENT Maori land development would come in for its share, but the main trouble there, at least so far as rehabilitation was concerned, was the matter of title. This problem was a hard one, but not insurmountable, he hoped. Total land gazetted in Northland under the Maori land development scheme was just under 700,000 acres, of which two-fifths had been grassed. Northland Maori primary production had totalled 2,300,0001 b butter-fat and 423 bales of wool. The 48,094 stock animals included 16,500 dairy cows and 11.800 breeding ewes. Maori settlers under the scheme now numbered 837. There were 532 Maori dwellings, 687 cowsheds, eight woolsheds and 31 other farm buildings to the credit of the system. Cash receipts from Maori developmental areas had risen from £289,000 in 1938 to well over £1.000,000 in 1948.