NEW CONTROL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22987, 15 March 1938, Page 13

NEW CONTROL

MOUNT SMART DOMAIN QUARRYING RESTRICTION DEFINITE LEVEL FIXED [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Monday Provisions for the management and administration of the Mount Smart domain, near Oijehunga, are included in the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatiyes to-day. The domain is a volcanic cone which originally rose to a height of 286 ft. It was constituted a domain in 1877, but by special legislation in 1925 the Onehtmga Borough Council, in which it was vested, was given power to dispose of quarrying rights. It is stated in an explanatory memorandum to the bill that quarrying operations have been carried out to no definite plan and it is now considered that in order to make the' area suitable for recreation purposes a definite level of 115 ft. should bo fixed, below which no quarrying may take place. The purpose of the clause in this year's legislation is to place all moneys received in respect of the domain in trust for the ultimate improvement of the land for recreation purposes and to vest control of the domain in a board representative of the Crown and tho various local authorities directly interested. All former legislation affecting the domain is repealed. Power is given to appoint a representative board and hold moneys in trust for the improvement of the land and the level of 115 ft. for quarrying is fixed. All quarrying rights will be subject to the approval of the Minister of Lands, but the right of the Railways Department to extract scoria above the level of lloft. is protected.