THE PROTECTION OF FOREST RESERVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12419, 14 November 1903, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE PROTECTION OF FOREST RESERVES.

[BY A. J. A.]

The present time appears to be opportune for calling attention to subjects that have lately been discussed in Parliament, which are of special interest to scenery conservation societies, and to all who desire a better system of administration of our public domains, and more effective and permanent protection of our native forest reserves from the destruction with which they are continually threatened. Whatever may be said as to the failings of Government in other ways, there can be no doubt that they have proved by some of their measures during this session that they fully recognise and sympathise with these objects.

One of the questiions which have agitated the Auckland public is the City of Auckland Empowering and Reserves Exchange Bill, promoted by the City Council. The Bill has passed the second reading, notwithstanding the numerously signed petitions against it. This is, no doubt, because it contains matters unopposed, not affecting the Domain, but there is some probability that in committee, if it should reach that stage, the Domain clauses will be struck out. Ministers do not apparently sympathise with the Bill, and there is a strong party in the House who will resist this or any proposed encroachments of the like nature.

| A debate in the House of Representatives ! on July 21 (see Hansard No. 7), on the Rotokare Domain Act Repeal Bill, 1903, illustrates the necessity of watchful care with respect to the doings of local bodies who are charged with the custody and control of our forest reserves. It raises serious doubts whether in most cases such reserves should be handed over to them. We have instances at home in the cases of the Auckland Domain and the People's Park at Nihotupu and Waitakerei. To the last-mentioned I shall refer later on. In the case of v the Rotokare Reserve, this domain, said to be one of the beauty spots of the colony, was vested in the Hawera Borough Council. Unfortunately, in 1899, the Legislature inadvertently gave that body power to lease about 400 acres of the bush laud, and early in the month of July of the present year it was discovered by the Commissioner of Crown Lauds that the lessees were beginning to fell the whole of the bush, preparatory to laying down the land in grass. Seeing that to fell the bush on the leased portion meant the destruction of all the remaining bush, it became absolutely necessary to stop this vandalism, and hence the Bill submitted to the House. The Premier easily induced the House to deal with this question as a matter of urgency. The Standing Orders were suspended. The Bill was pushed through all its stages and passed at one sitting, and the land, though still a public domain, has been taken from the control of the local body, and now reverts to the Crown Lands Department. During the debate members expressed their opinions vigorously upon the following points: —

1. Speaking on the urgency of the measure, the Premier said that the reserve is being destroyed .and that was setting at naught the will of Parliament. It was only by dealing with it now that we could stop its destruction. Messrs. Smith and T. Mackenzie concurred.

2. Mr. Vile was of opinion that the bush is already practically destroyed, but Messrs. Ell and Harding thought that it would reproduce itself in a short time if the cattle are kept out. 3. Mr. Harding considered that this kind of domain was never intended to belong to these boards, but simply to be held in trust for the use of the people of the colony as a whole.

Mr. Allen said the Bill should be a warning to the Minister fo* Crown Lands to watch over any local Bill that goes through the House dealing with domains and Crown lands.

6. Doubts were expressed by the Premier, and by Messrs. Buchanan, T. Mackenzie, Taylor, and Buddo, whether some of our reserves should be handed over to local bodies, because some of them do not use the land for the purpose for which it was intended.

6. Messrs. Buchanan, T. Mackenzie, Taylor, and Buddlio were of opinion that the Hawera, Borough Council have shown themselves incompetent and unfit to be entrusted with the Rotokare Domain, and that they ought never to have been intrusted with it. 7. Messrs. Rutherford, Taylor, and Ell thought that the passing of the Bill should establish a precedent with the object of taking back a. number of these beauty spots parted with by the Crown, and that it may be the forerunner of some comprehensive legislation dealing with forest reserves. '

8. Mr. Buchanan (practically acquainted with our native forests) and Mr. Ell said that by allowing cattle to go iu the bush it was only a'question of time when the bush would be as effectually destroyed as if the bush were felled and burnt. To preserve the bush an Order-in-Gouncil was necessary to vest it in the Crown Lands Department, and further legislation ; so that it shall be effectually fenced and preserved from the incursions oi stock, or ot people who might set fire to the timber of underwood that has, unfortunately, beep felled. 9. The Premier remarked that the only way to deal with the question o r . preserving the native bush was in a comprehensive way. We must take care of our native bush, or else we shall be punished heavily in future. The debate had proved valuable because it had shown clearly that there is a large majority of members with the Government in their desire to preserve our natural scenery, and to do something to prevent what has been going on in the past —the destruction of a valuable asset. As to this question, it would be dealt with this session, and, he hoped, in a comprehensive manner. In these views, Sir W. Russell, Messrs. Buddo, Hogg, Sidev, Barber, Rutherford, Taylor, and Jill generally concurred, though their opinions respectively were somewhat differently expressed. Members of scenery conservation societies will be gratified to learn from what follows that the Premier has fully carried out the promise thus foreshadowed.

In the Legislative Council on September 26, the Attorney-General expressed the strong opinion of the Government against allowing public reserves for the purpose of recreation to be dealt with in any other way than the purpose for which they were created. He announced that it was the

intention of the Government to legislate this session against permitting local bodies or other, trustees of reserves to deal with the reserves contrary .to the purpose for which those reserves were constituted. I have not yet been able to ascertain whether this promised legislation is to be dealt with in a separate Bill,' or will be included in some other Bill now, or to come, before the House. In a later debate (September 29) on the motion for the second reading of the Municipal Corporations Bill, Messrs, Smith, Ell, Laurensou, Hogg, Wilford, T. Mackenzie, Field, Barber, Sidey, and Alison, either condemned (or advocated stringent safeguards against) clause 11 of the Bill, in which it was proposed to give power to boroughs to lease lands reserved for recreation purposes. Mr. Smith struck a keynote when he observed, speaking of Wellington, to which this clause was to be specially applied, " so little has been done here, I was almost inclined to say that steps should be taken to take the endowment back because they have done so little." At a further sitting "(October 7) the objectionable clause was struck out of the Bill, showing clearly what is the feeling of Parliament upon this subject. • On October 23, " The Scenery Preservation Bill, involving an important and novel question upon which, as we have seen, the Premier had announced his intention to introduce legislation, was brought before the House, read a second time 2 and met with general approval. The object of the Bill is to preserve beauty spots that are now being destroyed, and generally to acquire and preserve places of scenic and historic interest. Such places will probably be found more numerous in the North Island than elsewhere. A sum of £25,000 a year for four years is to be set apart for the purpose of purchasing these spots. In committee a motion to reduce the amount to be placed at the disposal of the Government for this object was negatived, and the Bill passed its final stages on October 28 without a division. At the present time, when the fiuanciaLexigencies of the colony may require some caution, this is a remarkable instance of care and foresight on the part of our' Government, for which the whole colony should be grateful. Only a very strong Government could have ventured to propose and carry through this muchneeded and comprehensive measure. The passage of this Bill should be hailed with acclamations from all of the scenery conservation societies, and I think it should now be the duty of our local society to acquire information as to the different localities within the provincial district of Auckland, which may be deemed worthy of being suggested to the notice of Government for the purposes of this Act.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the Scenery Preservation Act will, confer greatpresent advantages on the people of this colony, and if carefully administered its lasting beneficial results "to future generations cannot be too highly estinjated. But I shall endeavour in a future communication to show that further wise and vigorous action will still be necessary in order to secure the objects of the Actthat immediate protection of our native forest reserves throughout the colony is of primary and pressing importance, and that some change in the administration of these reserves by local bodies is imperatively required.