PEAT LANDS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 81, Issue 7252, 15 September 1950, Page 6

PEAT LANDS

DEVELOPMENT IN WAIKATO NATIONAL APPROACH URGED That the peat land in the Waikato could bo developed and that the project should be approached on a national basis was the opinion of a combined meeting of interested bodies in Hamilton, presided over by Mr. Woolerton. Mr. I. L. Elliott, of the Rukuhia Soil Fertility Research Station, considered that if given certain basic conditions the peat land could be developed. Peat lands could be brought into production, but it would not be cheap to do so. The chairman of the Hamilton Peat Committee, Mr. T. C. Henderson, said a 2300-acre block known as Seifert’s block was available and he thought the Government should take it in order to experiment further with the developments of peat land. It was mentioned that the previous Government had verbally agreed to purchase the block negotiations were being carried on by the present Government, but no agreement had been reached, said Mr. R. G. Young. Potential of Land Mr. Elliott said that if the peat land were to be developed it should be undertaken according to a set plan. The clarification of that plan was the most important point at the present stage. The potential was there but more reading and machinery would be needed, which were beyond the resources of the ordinary farmer, Mr. Woolerton said. Mr. C. B. Prisk, ex-president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, said that he would like to see a strong committee formed to meet all the district members of Parliament who could be asked to attend a roundtable conference. Peat land could be made to grow grass, Mr. Henderson said. It was a matter of cost, there wa.s no doubt of that. Asked by Mr. Henderson whether the Seifert block would help the Soil Fertility Research Station in its experimental work with peat, Mr. F. B. Thompson said that if the staff and facilities were available it would. It could be developed as a separate entity. Mr. Elliott said that he could not officially support the acquisition of the Seifert block. Resolution Passed The scheme was one which demanded State development, said Mr. J. N. Anderson, engineer to the Waipa Countv Council. The following resolution was passed: “That this meeting is unanimously of the opinion that the various swamp lands in the Waikato area should be developed and as a preliminary calls the local Members of Parliament to meet a committee in the near future to discuss a scheme for presentation to the Government.”