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1931. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. PUBLIC DOMAINS AND NATIONAL PARKS OF NEW ZEALAND (ANNUAL REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist July, 1931. Sir — I have the honour to submit herewith a report on the public domains and national parks of the Dominion for the year ended 31st March, 1931. I have, &c, W. Robertson, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Hon. E. A. Ransom. Minister of Lands.

REPORT. PART I.—PUBLIC DOMAINS. The work of providing new domain areas for the recreation and enjoyment of the public received the usual attention during the year. Twenty-two new domains, covering a total area of some 1,200 acres, were brought under the provisions of Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928. Boards have been appointed to control seventeen of the new areas, and appointments will be made in due course for the other five. Additions totalling 435 acres were also made to twenty-two existing domains. The total number of domains administered under Part II of the Act is now 738, comprising an aggregate area of approximately 73,300 acres. The various Commissioners of Crown Lands administer forty-seven of these domains, 271 are controlled by local authorities acting as Domain Boards, while the remainder are under the care of local Boards appointed from time to time. Of the new domains set apart during the year some special features were connected with the constitution of the Motuihi Island Domain in the Hauraki Gulf. This island, containing an area of approximately 432 acres, was purchased by the Crown in 1872 under the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870, and was later set apart as a station for the performance of quarantine under the Public Health Act, 1872, and as a quarantine ground for stock for the purposes of the Diseased Cattle Act, 1881. In December, 1928, permission was granted to the Auckland City Council to use portion of the land for domain purposes upon certain conditions which necessitated the erection of a substantial fence to enclose that portion of the island on which the quarantine buildings stood. The Council had also incurred other expenditure incidental to the use of the land for domain purposes. Section 16 of the Reserves and other Lands Disposal Act, 1929, validated this expenditure, and provided that pending the vesting of control in the Council as a Domain Board the Council should have all the powers of a Domain Board with respect to that portion of the island then in its possession.