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Otago Daily Times, Issue 13693, 8 September 1906, Page 8

SCENERY PRESERVATION Tiip Scenery Preservation Commission, tho presence of which j|i thess parts,, through the number (if hpauty "spots brought under its nof ice, showed that ■ New Zealtuulers havp considerable apprpciation of the scenic assets of their country, is now a thing of the past, afl'd • jt is of interest to look at its work. .A fairly exhaustive examination of the colpny from the Commission's vipwpoipt appears to havp been made, and as a result very numerous recommendations have followed. The report on scenery preservation for the year, issued hy the Lands Department, shows that from the appointment of the Commission in 'March, IStyi, up to the end of March last an avea of 14,505 acres has been reserved under tho .Scenery Preservation Act of 1003, at a total expenditure of £7175, including £'.'JU4H as the expenses of the Commission * and £3552 as compensation for, land taken. In addition to the area of reservations actually effected, the Commissioners have submitted proposals for the acquisition and reservation' of some 350,000 acres. Tho report states that many of t||e iueas recommended are now in course of acquisition, that.in some cases the forest pn the' land has been so destroyed that reservation is no longer desirable, and that )n the majority of cases negotiations are being conducted with a view to definitely ascertaining the exact cost and area ol the places wprtli acquiring 'bfiforo a finil decision is arrived at in the matter. A glance at the Commission's sphedula of recommendations is interesting. These. number in all 3bl ; aiul altboycr)* tfc

' Words "held over" or "no action taken" or "action deferred" appear opposite , the great bulk of them, action appears to have been definitely taken in regard to a fair proportion of the recommendations, it being explained elsewhere t|uit a variety of reasons have made it necessary to suspend negotiations. In this connection the report states: "Thus itwill bo. seen that, though consideration of the Commissioners' proposals may liaye been hold over, it does not follow that no action.will eventually be taken, tiiit only' that at the present time it is injudicious to attempt to deal with the land as recommended." Interest centres for Dunedin people naturally in the action ■ taken in regard»to waking reservations iii, tho environment of this city. The report is dated June 28, ami up to that, datp 'Flagstaff Hill (142 acres), liey- «" wood's Point (110 acres), and the.locality known as, Bailoy's, at .Flagstaff, comprising gome 24 acres, are the only spots near to- the city marked as actually reserved, flagstaff Hill is alone designated as "acquired and reserved;" It is satisfactory to note, however, that' negotiations for acquisition are stated to be in progress in regard to Signal Hill, the AYatcr of Lejth Valley, MihiWfika; Hill, Grant's Hill (Waitati), Mount Pleasant (near Port Chalmers), apd an jirefl. of eight acres' at Niclioll's Creek. It .will he" generally agreed that the Niclioll's Creek Fal|s locality- provides a particularly picturesque and altogether .charming resort for those who desire to admire Nature in one of her pleasantest aspects .without going too far afield—a respft of which tho people of Dunedin have not had full opportunity of making' the most. It is to he hoped, therefore, that the member for Dunedin North will .recpiyg'-'a satisfactory reply to the question ho framed for the Minister of Lands on this particular subject. The jvest bank of the Taieri River appears to have been already rcsorved, but consideration is recorded as held over jn , regard tp the east bank and as to the forests in the vicinity, and othpr bush and hill arpas*. north and - Bcjut|i of the'city likewise have their future undecided. The forests, for ttiiis they are described, at West Harbour and part of Mount Cargill come among those against which is written "no action yet taken." The bpai]tif|i| ))iisl|'alp!!g the Catlin's River has' been ; reserved, and other areas fqrtl|ev afield wi|-hin tho prpvipce have evidently , not been neglected. The Commission on Scenery Preservation certainly cost the colony something, but • consideration of the results achieved thrquph its' medium , shows that it has done a "most nsefpl wqrk which will fye to the perpetual ])ene(it qf tho colony. The Scenery Preservation Act of 1903, which aJForcjefl ifleans for securing, as an inalienable-patrimony of t]ie people of New Zealand, lands possessing scenic or historic interest, provided for tlje expenditure of £100',QOO on such a purpose, the, cost ill any one year being limited to |25,000., It is evident that in tho loiig list of recommepdntions made liy the Commission in. respect tp areas all over the colony, so few of w|ticji l]aye yet been finally dealt with, thpre is material enough to keep the Lauds Department occupied on the subject of Kcepery preservation for a long timei to come. ,