THE UREWERA LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18577, 8 December 1923, Page 12

THE UREWERA LANDS.

OPENING OF 32,000 ACRES.

AVAILABLE BEFORE APRIL.

LARGE RESERVES PROPOSED.

fBT TELEOHAPir. —SPECIAL REPORTERWHAKATANE, Friday. A statement regarding the Urewera lands was made this evening by the Hon. W. Nosworthy. Acting-Minister for Lands, and the Hon. It. F. Bollard. The Ministers stated that it had been realised by the Minister for Lands that considerable discretion would have to be exorcised in the opening of any areas which had been purchased by the Crown out of the Urewera native reserve. The denudation of the forest in the valleys of the Waimana and Whakatane Rivers would have a direct bearing upon tho safety of the Waimana, Opouriao, and coastal lands. It was apparent that the value of the Urewera lands was, at a conservative estimate, in the ratio of 35 to 1, oornpared with tho areas referred to. It was feared that the success of the drainage operations on the Rangitaiki Plains would be seriously jeopardised, should anything in the way of wholesale settlement of the Urewera lands be attempted. The Urewera Country was distinctly mountainous, and the distances between the various valleys was very small. Indiscriminate felling of the forests would only result in numerous slips in the hills, and the waters would reach the streams in a very much shorter space of time than in the case of forest lands. It was therefore decided by the Minister for Lands, said Mr. Nosworthy, to appoint a commission of four experts to report upon the subdivision of the portion of the Urewera Country acquired_ by the Crown. The report of the commission very fully confirmed tho opinion which the Minister for Lands had held. Shortly, the report advocated the opening up of only a comparatively small portion of the Crown purchases, and that the majority of the area should be made State forest, provisional State forest, and climatic and water conservation reserves. Mr. Nosworthy expressed the opinion that the proposals outlined would give general satisfaction to the district. It was proposed to have an area of about 32,000 acres opened for selection on or before March 31 next. This area was generally in the valley of the Waimana River, and duo provision had been made in the way of reserves for the protection of the riverbanks and so forth. At present some 21 miles of 12ft. cart road has been formed from the northern boundary of the reserve up the valley of the Waimana and Tauranga Rivers. The present end of the formation is in the vicinity of the Tawhana fiats, and from there southwards a bridle track is being constructed to the saddle, and should be completed by the end of March. All sections were therefore assured of road access." It was considered that it would be very undesirable to open any further lands "until they were fed by formed road or bridle tracks. Obviously the bulk of the Urewera areas would < be pastoral lands, and on that account bridle tracks would suffice for a very large portion of these lands.