a—io

In July, 1930, an area of 410 acres of the island was set apart for the purposes of a recreationground, and this area was brought under Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928, as the Motuihi Island Domain. The City Council was thereupon appointed as a Domain Board to have the control and management, subject, however, to certain reservations and conditions providing particularly for the maintenance of the water-supply for use in connection with the quarantine station, and for the closing of the island should at any time such action be necessitated by quarantine requirements or by a national or other emergency. The Council, which contemplates the expenditure of considerable sums in effecting improvements for the benefit of people visiting the island, desired to be granted certain additional powers over the domain, and special legislation was therefore promoted (see the Auckland City Council and Motuihi Island Domain Board Empowering Act, 1930) giving the Council the following powers and authorities : — (a) The right to make and enforce reasonable charges for persons landing on or using the domain or the foreshore thereof, including additional or special charges for the use of any building, structure, or enclosure. (6) All the rights and powers the Council has in relation to land acquired under section 302 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1920, for the purpose of the enjoyment or recreation of the public. (c) The right to use, control, arid maintain the wharf abutting on the domain, and to renew or repair the same. {(I) The right to control the whole of the foreshore fronting the domain down to low-water mark of spring tides. (e) The right to close the domain and the foreshore thereof when vessels are in quarantine, or when on account of disease among stock at the quarantine station such closing is advisable, or when the Crown requires the domain in the event of a national emergency. Orders in Council were issued appointing sixty-three Boards to control domains for further terms, while over one hundred vacancies on some eighty Boards were filled by the appointment of suitable persons nominated by the residents of the particular districts concerned. Additional members were appointed to the Hamilton, Te Naumai, Waimangaroa ; and Patearoa Domain Boards. Nine gentlemen were appointed to control the Horowhenua Lake Domain pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of the Horowhenua Lake Act, 1905, and section 97 of the Reserves and other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1916. Miscellaneous documents issued included Proclamations adding certain closed roads to the Waikiekie, Te Teko, Whaingaroa, and Rahotu Domains ; a Warrant authorizing the erection of a public hall on the Carluke Domain ; and Orders in Council uniting the Beckenham, Cashmere Hills, Richmond, and Spreydon Domains and the Katikati and Uritawa Domains. Permission was granted nineteen Domain Boards to increase the charges for admission to their respective domains on special occasions during the year. Several sets of by-laws were approved, and permission granted in four cases for the setting-apart of parking-places and camping-sites in public domains. The reservation over the whole of the Pelorus and Coal Creek Flat Domains, and over portions of the Ruawai and Vigor Brown Domains was revoked during the year. The first-named domain comprised a small island in the Pelorus River, and had been controlled by the Marlborough County Council acting as a Domain Board. It had never been used for recreation purposes, and as blackberry had obtained a good hold the County Council decided to hand back the reserve to the Department. The land, now that the reservation has been revoked, will be disposed of to the best advantage under the Land Act. In the case of the Coal Creek Flat Domain the local Domain Board allowed the reserve to become infested with broom and other noxious weeds, and, as all endeavours to induce them to clean up the area and place it in proper order met with failure; the Department arranged to revoke the reservation and sell the land. The portion of the Ruawai Domain dealt with comprised an area of b\ acres separated from the rest of the domain and having no road access. The land was notused for recreation, or likely ever to be required for the purpose, and arrangements were therefore made for its sale, the proceeds to be used for the improvement of the remainder of the domain. In the case of the Vigor Brown Domain an isolated section of half an acre not required for domain purposes was sold to provide funds for carrying out improvements on the main reserve. The members of the Kaiauai Domain Board submitted their resignations during the year, and the control of the reserve will be taken over by the Department until such time as the people of the district desire to use the land for recreation purposes. The Cashmere, Wairoa, and Waikouaiti Domain Boards purchased additional areas during the year under the provisions of section 39 of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928. An exchange was completed of a small portion of the Selwyn Domain at Mission Bay, Auckland, for an area owned by the Melanesian Trust Board. Section 132 of the Reserves and other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1921, gave the Rhodes Park Domain Board power to sell the old domain and to apply the proceeds towards payment of a debt incurred in the purchase of a new domain of much higher value. It was found impossible to sell the old domain to advantage, and the matter was finally adjusted during the year by the Board's creditor generously offering to accept the land in full discharge of the debt owing to him.

2