SAND DRIFT MENACE.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 4, 28 January 1930, Page 2

SAND DRIFT MENACE.

NEED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION MINISTER PROMISES INVESTIGATION. A QUESTION OF FINANCE. The necessity for taking immediate steps to check the sanddrift menace was forcibly put before the Minister of Forests and Railways, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, last Tuesday night by a deputation from the local branch of the Farmers’ Union, While stating the extent of any action taken would depend on the finance available, the Minister said he took a great interest in the question and promised to go into it thoroughly. Stating the sand drift menace had been realised by settlers for some years, Mr. W. Masters, president of the Kaitaia branch of the union, asserted that if nothing was done before long the sand would come right into the swamp and ruin the drainage scheme. He was prepared to show the Minister and the experts in his party where the sand had drifted over good grass. Lupins and

rfnarram grass had been success\bl where they had been put. It had been suggested to the Government that seed should be collected for sowing, and now was the time to collect. One drift near Awanui was the wors', bring now right into the swamp. Altogether the area involved was over ICOO acres, Mr. Masters stated. Fuither north the drift was past stopping, but nearer at hand it could be coped with. During the last month at Waiioa the sand had driited over the road for two chains, while some Government sections were now buried.

Sandhills Replace Grass Flats

That when the drainage scheme had first been mooted, one of the chief questions had been an application for a sand expert to be sent up to report, and nothing had been done, was stated by Mr. T. S. Houston. Had that action been taken, he contended, quite a large area would have been saved to-day, and if something were not done now it was only a question of a few more years until other places were attacked. The extent of the encroachment was shown by the fact that in places the sand had formed into hills 14 to 15ft. high, where before had been beautiful grass flats. The breaking away of little gullies started the trouble, and the wind did the rest. He strongly advised the Minister to make an inspection the following day, when he would see that where 10 years ago had been pasture there was now 4 to sft. of sand. In regard to planting lupin seeJ, the department disagreed vv ih the idea of planting the pods, but Mr. Houston contended it stood to reason that the action of the sun would break the pods open, and the decreased cost of this method of planting more than made up for any deficiency, land Must Not Be Grazed Enquiring whether grazing went on in the areas concerned, Mr. E. Phillips Turner, Director ot Forestry, stated sand drift would never be stopped while cattle were on it. What had been said of planting wl ole pods was very inferes ing, for elsewhere it had been found very difficult. Dr. Cockayne had proposed cutting off the lupin boughs and scattering them round; but the first thing was to stop the sand at the source of supply, the operation being the planting of marram grass along the shore to arrest the sand, and then protecting the rear areas

by planting lupins, alternate belts of lupins and marram grass sometimes being planted. From reports received the department had not formed the impression that the area affected was nearly as bad as the speakers had said. If the lands department, when it drained the swamp, had examined the country, it would have sten the sand hills, and the work should have been part of the drainage scheme. It was very interesting to hear there were considerable areas of marram grass, for in other parts nurseries had had to be established. “Two Schemes Should Go Together •” The Minister said this was one of the important matters he proposed to look into while here. As regards the practical and technical sides, there was no doubt that the work could be done, but it was a question ot the value of the land which would be reclaimed, the value to the settlers and how the work could be financed. The State Forest Service could supply the necessary advice. He had come to the same conclusion as had Mr. Turner —ihe drainage and sand questions should have been tackled together. “If the case appears to be sufficiently strong after inspection, I will certainly bring the matter before Government myself,” the Hon. Mr. Taverner stated. On his return to Wellington he would arrange for discussions to take place between the Public Works, Lands and Forestry Departments. The longer the matter was left the worse it would become. In conclusion the Minister stated his department was quite able to tackle the practical side of the work, and he assured the deputation he had a great personal interest in the matter.