DEVELOPING UNIMPROVED LAND IN WAIKATO AREAS

Waikato Independent, Volume XLV, Issue 6235, 6 May 1949, Page 4

DEVELOPING UNIMPROVED LAND IN WAIKATO AREAS

THE EDITOR'S COMMENT.

THE statement made at Auckland a few days ago by Mr J. Scott-Davidson, a member of the Dominion Lands Com mittee and President of Federated Farmers of Auckland Province, that five hundred thousand acres of land in the Rotorua-Taupo-Bay of Plenty district could be quickly developed into good dairying country, is of first rate importance. - It is to be hoped that it is so regarded by the authorities of this Dominion. It is appreciated by many people that there is plenty of scope for land development in this country and there should be much more concentration upon unimproved land. A fine example of what can be done in this direction can be seen in the Maraetai district. To the immediate South of Mangakino township and Whakamaru large areas of fern and tea-tree land have been brought in during the last year or two and when the hydi'o-eleetrie schemes are completed in, say, another ten years, then these lands will be in production condition and will maintain such centres as Mangakino. Mr Scott-Davidson's remarks are the outcome of a recent visit of the Lands Committee to the areas mentioned where he says there is also another one and a half million acres of fern and scrub Tand in the areas suitable for develop n.cj.t. "It means ih«v, the Crown Lands Development Department . proposes to deal with 5,000 acres a year, at which rate it will take 100 years to grass the dairying land and about 400 years to complete the job. It is time the farming Community and the public generally roalised the potentialities of these Crown lands and just how little the Government is facing up to the responsibilities not only of these areas, but also of idle lands of the Northland." It is likely that a great many people will agree with Mr Scott-Davidson thai the present policy of the Government is not as progressive as it should be, and that it has not the vision that is necessary for the real development and future ■ progress of this country. It is being proved in the Maraetai and Whakamaru districts that fern and teatree covered land can be quickly brought in these days. Modern farming and land development equipment ■ have made such work comparatively easy. ! The present limited policy of the Government in connection with unimproved land and its apparent preference for cutting up improved land is not meeting the need by any means. In many instances the taking and cutting up of improved land is not increasing production one bit and in fact is discouraging some avenues of primary production. In his recent statement Mr Seott-Dav idson advocated a radical change in policy and he did offer to the Committee a constructive scheme for the breaking'up next Autumn of 50,000 acres. As he says: "It only requires vision and cour- ' age to grapple with the problems which must arise in such a scheme of national importance. By tackling the problem at once, returned servicemen could be settled, Britain fed and- a foundation provided for a saner economy of ultimate benefit to all New Zealanders."