BUSH LANDS

Western Star, 18 December 1928, Page 2

BUSH LANDS

OPENING UP TUATAPERE BLOCKS

A recommendation that action should be taken towards the opening up foxsettlement of the Rowallan and Alton blocks of Native lands near Tuatapere was brought forward at the meeting of the Southland executive of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday. A suggestion in this direction at a previous meeting led to the appointment of a committee to go into the matter, and Mr E. lv. Sim, submitted a report of the recommendations of the committee which had met in collaboration with the Tuatapere branch. Mr Sim stated that the blocks mentioned comprised some 40,000 to 50,000 acres of bush lands and till© suggestion was that this ai-ea should be cut up into sections of 300 or 400 acres, the tenure to be occupation with right of purchase, returned soldiers with small holdings adjoining the estate to be given preference in acquiring additional areas. The question of the purchase of such land at a payable price was a difficult problem, the general opinion of the committee being that such lands should be acquired for practically nothing on account of the high costs of bringing such areas into a state of productivity, £l 10/- per acre including the.cost of reading being considered to be the maximum. If the land were taken up it should bo roaded immediately, as if this were not so the settlement was liable to become- a failure. If there were not sufficient landless settlers available, a number of local residents were prepared to twice up sections. It was suggested that on those sections where there was milling timbei- available the settler s%uld receive the benefit of this. Near the coast- there whs a lot of very hood land available similar to that between Orepuki and Tuatapere, but at the furthest extremity it was very poor. In conclusion, Mr Sim moved that the recommendations should be forwarded to Mr Adam Hamilton, M.P., with a request to take the matter up with the Government for further investigation. Mr 11. Sim asked, whether it was wise to destroy the bush in that area. It was necessary to consider whether other areas were not more suitable lor settlement. , Mr W. T. Peterson said he knew that the quality’ of the land near .the coast was very good, but it was nob so good further inland where the country was more broken. . Mr E. K. Sim said the opinion of the Tuatapere branch was that if the whole block was bought a much better deal* would be secured. The motion wag carried.