Whangaroa Development Lags Behind Rest Of N.Z.

Northern Advocate, 5 August 1949, Page 4

Whangaroa Development Lags Behind Rest Of N.Z.

NORTHLAND IDLE LANDS . . .

' PERHAPS the most comprehensive treatment of the subject of idle lands—comprehensive in that it took in all conceivable factors in the retroversion of the district—was given in the 11 pages of submissions made to the recent Kaikohe conference by the Whangaroa delegates. The submissions took two forms. First was a combined effort of two and a quarter pages (foolscap, single-space typing) by the .Whangaroa County Council, the Whangaroa Coop. Dairy Company and the Kaeo branch of Federated Farmers. The second section, of nine similar pages, close-typed, was a study of the conditions leading up to, and including the way of life, in Whangaroa today. This was prepared by the Whangaroa Progressive Association.

The last three pages of the association’s thesis dealt with the meat of the subject—land development—under the headings of Maori, Crown and freehold land. Considerable praise and criticism of existing methods of land usage were made. On the one hand, for instance, the method of financing and assisting Maoris to farm their own lands was praised; on the other hand, the fact that “the Crown lands of Whangaroa have been scorned and derided by some departmental officers” was fiercely taken up and it was suggested in view of the opposite contention of settlers on same-type land, that “it looks as if some of these officers should be like the Arab—fold their tents and steal silently away!” PERTINENT FIGURES So far as actual figures were concerned the combined reports showed the following:— Total acreage of Whangaroa County is estimated at 1553,600 ac~es. Acreage assessed by the investigating committee (representative of all, interested organisations') was 126,000 acres. Land in production totals 45,000 acres. Land suitable for development totals 41,000 acres. Land suitable for reafforestation, forest lands, etc., totals 40,000 acres. Stating that increased production must be the basic idea behind any examination of New Zealand’s idle lands, the Progressive Association’s report made it clear that Whangaroa County has 100,000 acres of occupied land farmed perhaps to a third of its capacity and went on to seek the reasons why this should be so. The County had 25,000 acres of Crown land which could be brought into production. The county’s relative isolation for 150 years had prevented rapid development. RECENT DEVELOPMENT

Maoris of the early days had. in that district, acquired an unenviable reputation and European settlement did not really .start until 1360 with the beginning of the milling industry, seeking virgin forests to satisfy the growing demand for kauri timber. Kauri gum followed and enough settlement was present for a county council to be formed in 1844. Little dairying was done, except on old bullock-team feeding grounds, until the present dairy factory was erected at Kaeo in 1910. The county must therefore be regarded as one of the Dominion’s most backward—most recently-developed, if that is preferred—areas. Until perhaps 10 years ago, the sea was the most reliable means of transport and all-winter roads were unknown until a few years ago. They really came to Whangaroa with the construction system by the PWD under the invasion stress of the Second World War. TRANSPORT PROBLEMS Motor transport, by the same token, is relatively new. Transportation costs are high because of isolation. The report states the county is very much under-served for garage and motor-repair facilities, the dairy company owning the main establishment, which it acquired primarily to service its own vehicles. This garage has been over-loaded by its having to be used for a depot for NZR Road Service buses, as a parcel depot, as a public petrol station and a host of other functions which it was never intended to serve. Electric power had been in the county only 12 months, it was stated. Reticulation was still in progress, but was hampered by frustration and delay. “The fault would appear to be remediable,” it was added, “There is an urgent demand for electric power and, with this amenity, living conditions would be more attractive.”

On the basis that "most of our land may be considered unimproved,” the report examined the reasons for shortage of fencing wire, staples, metal, cement, timber, hardware and machinery. Lime from Waikiewie or elsewhere was freighted at £2 a ton on the farm. While some of the land was not deficient in lime, the greater part needed anytiimg up to a ton an acre to bring it up to the norma content. Lime outcrops were present at Mangapa and Otangaroa, but no crushing plant was yet" in action. Fertilisers cost up to £l4 a ton landed on the farm. Grass-seed, readily available, cost about £4/10/- per acre for new pasture. Natural assets not exploited to the full were, lime, timber, battens, posts, metal, but these were offset by transport costs in the other directions. Labour would not present an insurmountable difficulty in that the local Maoris of today, particularly with the closing of the mills becoming imminent as the year’s go on, could do farmwork. He had shown himself at home with heavy developmental work but disliked the routine of milking and ploughing. MACHINERY LITTLE USED Machinery was but little used. Indeed, facilities for maintenance of modern machinery were non-existent. Also, a blacksmith was urgently needed. Veterinary services were poor in the district and considerable loss occurred. Technical instruction was noticeable for its absence. There was no resident farm instructor and, since the population rarely had had an opportunity of taking farm school training, the standard of work was bad. Inspection of an average cowshed revealed an ignorance of technical understanding necessary for a highgrade production. This was a remediable fault In education there were no facilities for technical post-primary study and no adult study classes. The report dealt in great detail with amenities of civilisation, recreational facilities, local-body operations, land tenures, finance housing, rating, the effect of land sales legislation, reasons for farmers’ discontent and lack of incentive and various other aspects.