C—lA.

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APPENDIX 4. ROADS TO OPEN CROWN LANDS FOR SALE. Extracts from Reports and Statements of Supervising Officers and Local Authorities on the Worh done from Ist July, 1885, to Ist July, 1886.

AUCKLAND. Olcaihau to Victoria Valley Road.— At the date of last year's report we had 17f miles of this road opened as a cart road for 10 miles, and as a bridle road for 7f miles. During the past season 4. 1, miles of bridle road have been added, making 22^ miles in all, which brings it to the crossing of the Mangamuka River, abridge over which is now being built by contract. The direct area affected by this road is 7,200 acres; indirectly, the opened country is vastly greater, and will become more advantageous as it progresses. Mr. Garsed has had charge of the work supervised by Mr. E. Fairburn. Kohulcohu-Rakautapu. —The Hokianga County has had the 5£ miles length of this road in hand for some eighteen months. It is, I believe just on the point of completion. It renders communication with Victoria Valley far easier, and opens directly 387 acres of Crown land at Kohukoliu already cut up, and awaiting sale. It also opens indirectly an area of 15,000 to 20,000 acres. Lower TVaihou. —This line has been laid out by Mr. Wheeler, leading from the landing place to the Crown lands in Whangape for a distance of B'l miles, and arrangements have been made to let the work for the first 1\ miles to the natives living in the vicinity. When completed, it will open up some 8,000 to 10,000 acres of Crown land. Waimamalcu Bridge. —This bridge of 271 feet length, and with approaches two chains long, has been completed under contract. Although not built specially to open Crown lands, it effects that purpose to a certain extent, whilst it at the same time affords a safe crossing to a very dangerous river. About 11,000 acres will have been indirectly opened by this work. Mr. Fairburn supervised, the county inspecting. Brains — TatarariM. —A drain of about 58 chains length has been made by the Hobson County Council, which has had a very good effect over some 2000 acres of Crown land, nearly all swamp. Paparoa-WaiJcieMe Road. —About 4 miles on this line have been surveyed and graded for engineering works, and also properly surveyed for securing the title. Questions of compensation have hitherto delayed the commencement of the work, but tenders for 1\ miles are now called for. The road when opened will be very beneficial to the neighbourhood, and will open for settlement some 12,800 acres/ Mr. Fairburn has been in charge. Wairua to Helena Bay. —Nothing on this line has been done beyond arranging for an exchange of landing places, to make the terminus of the road more available. Awaroa Swamp Brains. —The Waipipi Eoad Board undertook the supervision of this work, which, when completed, will open about 3000 acres of good swamp. A length of about 1| miles of drain is in hand, the material thrown out from it forming a road. Under the same heading are included two other items of the road Votes, " Awaroa Swamp and Whiriwhiri," as they all refer to the same work. Aha-alca Swamp Brains. —This work, also, after having been laid out by Mr. Murray, is under the supervision of the Waipipi Eoad Board. A contract has been let for the first portion of a little over 11 miles. When this drain is finished, it will have opened up about 3,700 acres of good swamp land. Waerenga Road. —At the date of last report, 3g- miles of this road had been formed as a bridle road. Since then, Mr. Fairburn has laid out and constructed 4 miles additional of seven feet bridle road, and built a twenty foot bridge. The road opens a way to some fairly good country suitable for settlement, and is also useful as giving a through route to the Piako block. About 3000 acres of land have been opened up by it, besides giving access to several private properties. Churchill Punt.- —A contract has been let for building a punt to enable settlers to cross the Waikato River at this place, a want which has hitherto been much felt. It renders communication with a road ■which the department constructed three years ago, comparatively easy, and opens up a large extent of country. The contract is still proceeding. Whaingaroa to Kalvu.ru.— This work is in extension of the line opened last year. Mr. Fairburn has formed 8 miles of seven foot road, which leads down to a landing-place on the Whaingaroa Harbour. The bridges on this line have not yet been completed, but 3000 feet of timber have been sawn ready for them, and about 10 miles of old road cleared and repaired. This will prove a most useful work when completed, to effect a junction/with the main road from Waikato to Eaglan, and it forms as well, a portion of a main road, Huntly to Kawhia. The country opened amounts to about 5,000 acres. Kawhia Aotea Road. — Some heavy slips on this line have been removed, and some fascining done on the most dangerous crossings along the Aotea Harbour. Kawhia Waipa Road. —Mr. Fairburn has had this road under his charge. The works have consisted in widening out six feet bridle road into a cart road fifteen feet wide, a distance of 18 miles, and the construction of two bridges and about 25 culverts, corduroying with pungas, and fascining with tea-tree. The bush has been burnt off, and the ground sown with clover and grass for 15 miles. It is doing very well. Alexandra-Hikurangi Boad. —This road which leads into the Kawhia Waipa Road, mentioned above, and forms the connecting link between it and the town of Alexandra, has been formed for 6J miles, which added to last year's work makes a length of 10 miles formed from fifteen to eighteen feet wide. In addition, forty feet of bridges and culverts have been built, and 2,300 cubic feet of embankments made, with twenty-two chains of fencing erected where the road passes through native cultivations. There still remains further work to render this road available for wheeled traffic ; about 100 feet of bridging which is still under contract, but Mr. Fairburn hopes to complete this work three months from now.