WAITAKERE PARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19384, 20 July 1926, Page 8

WAITAKERE PARK.

Sir, —I agree with your correspondent, " Tui," in questioning " why so much stress is laid on Piha tor the national park scheme." We aro told that Piha is the Key to the whole scheme, and that if the Auckland City Council do not act promptly the opportunity to secure it will be lost for ever, because part of this block is already cut. up into sections, and if the sales of these sections are allowed to go on all chances to acquire it will be gone. To use Mr. Vaile's own words, "It is now or nevev." I claim to know as much about Waitakere Ranges as any man or woman in this city, and I say that Piha is not the key to the whole scheme. It may far more appropriately bo termed its unimportant backyard. As for the urgency of securing it, for above stated reason, to my personal knowledge, sections- in this block have been on the market and selling for over twelve months already, and if after all this time it is still possible to secure it on advantageous terms it hardly ■seems so urgent, at least till the next summer comes—Piha being practically inaccessible in winter—when all the members of the Auckland City Council should inspect this and all other parts of the ranges and see for themselves what is what. However, the Auckland City Council is in a very happy position of not only actually possessing the key (a real nucleus) of the whole proposeu scheme, but a property which in itself is unequalled and quite sufficient for a great park. The council has recently acquired all the land that was available aro'und this nucleus, the selling values of which were in danger of rising to prohibitive heights. In this action the council has shown a great wisdom. This key is the council's Pukematakeo property, with its magnificent kauri forest, its unequalled scenic beauties, its wonderful cascades, the great view obtainable from its summit, etc. It is only a little over two miles from the Swanson railway station, and extends to near the Waitakerei (Te Henga) beach. Its boundary is along the Swanson West Coast Road, which, in the near future, will be the Auckland Muriwai Road, and will shorten the present Auckland-Muriwai ttoad by over six miles. On this road and near the council's property, is situated the Waitemate County Council's quarry of 200 acres, containing an inexhaustible supply of the finest road metai obtainable. I understand, in this Dominion. Piha, on the other hand, is 16 miles from the nearest {Glen Eden) railway station, and the access to it is twice as steep as the one leading to Waitakere's beach from Swanson or Waitakerei railway station. The country at Piha iB rugged and interesting, but could not by any stretch of imagination be compared to the beauties of the Pukematakeo, and to compare its other qualities with Piha would be a gross libel on Pukematakeo. The council's Reserve at Pukematakeo now comprises an area of 2689 acres, the cost of which to the council was £31.098. To this is to be added £14,000 contributed bv t*'o Government, making: the total cost £45,098. The value of these 2689 acres is greater than that of the whole 20,000 acres which it is proposed to acquire for the national park, yet, with all due respect to Mr. Vaile's estimate that 20,000 a(jres will be acquired for £50,000, it will require several times £50,000 before these 20,000 acres are paid for as to price alone. The Auckland City Council will be welladvised to go carefully before embarking ori this amt itio-s scheme., The council should first develop and make available to the public use what it already has. •ti c h'-movous for the council to go on buying further areas and not being prepared even to pay rates to tho county on them so that the county may be enabled to make roads in the .locality. The Auckland City Council does not pay one penny if rates to the Waitemata County Co'iucil on the whole of its properties in the ranges aggregating over 28,000 ncres, yet the council is making a net profit of from £60,000 to £90,000 per annum on the water supply from the ranges. How can the Waitemata County Council spend money on the roads there when it is not receiving any revenue from all this land in the county. A fine state of affairs. If the present big scheme is adopted, and if tho past experience is any guide, Waitakere Ranges incorporated in this scheme will remain a closed book to the present generation of Auckland. Another Tux.