MAUNGATAUTARI RANGE

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1687, 17 November 1925, Page 5

MAUNGATAUTARI RANGE

PURCHASE AS CLIMATIC RESERVE

Replying to the suggestion of ithe Matamata County Council that the Government should negotiate with the owners for the purchase of the summit of the Maungatautari Range as a climatic reserve, the Minister for Lands (Hon. A. D. McLeod) advised ■the Council that after consideration by the Department, it had been decided that the local authorities must pro'vide at least one half of it lie purchase price of any land required.

The clerk said on the' basis of onehalf the Council’s contribution would be £1875. Only a portion of the area was in the Matamata County the other part being in the Waipa County, the latter body having advised him that (they W(*t-f/ (prepared tio give Cheir moral support to the proposal, but did not feel disposed to contribute towards the cost of purchase. The Director of Forestry and Commissioner of Crown Lands had also visited the Range and they considered the. area of great value for conservation purposes.

Crs. Pohlen and Stopford said (they were not in favour of their Ridings contributing. Cr. Darby said the area was a little over 3000 acres in area and should not be allowed to remain in private hands. He held that it should be purchased by itlie Government. It was stated by Cr. Judd that only a portion of the area referred to was in bush. He suggested that before further action was taken the Forestry Department be asked for their opinion as to the value of land not in bush and if it could be utilised for afforestation purposes.

A resolution on ithe lines of Cr. Judd’s remarks was carried accordingly.