c.—lo

1945 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, 23rd August, 1945. 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, 1945. I have, &c., .R. 6. Macmorran, Under-Secretary for Lands, The Hon. the Minister of Lands.

REPORT PART I.—PUBLIC DOMAINS At 31st March, 1945, the total number of public domains administered under the provisions of Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928, was 817, covering a total area of 79 85§ acres. Forty-three of these domains are controlled by the various Commissioners of Crown Lands 300 are controlled by local authorities acting as Domain Boards, and the remaining 474 are controlled by local Boards appointed from time to time. During the year 6 new domains, with a total area of 98 acres, were constituted and arrangements made for their control. Additions totalling approximately 103 acres were made to 8 existing domains. Particulars of the new domains are as.follows: — Tapanui Domain (Otago). —This domain, the total area of which is 68 acres and 37 perches, comprises part of the Tapanui Commonage Reserve containing 56 acres and 37 perches, and a former agricultural and pastoral reserve comprising 12 acres. For many years past this land has been used for football, cricket, and golf, and it was considered desirable to constitute the areas a public domain and place the control in the hands of the Tapanui Borough Council acting in the capacity of a Domain Board. Tapawera Memorial Park Domain (Nelson).—The land included in this domain comprises an area of 4 acres 3 roods 28-4 perches purchased in 1920 by the residents of Tapawera and district by means of funds raised by public subscriptions. The area was vested in trustees upon trust for those soldiers who lost their lives in the first Great War and upon further trust to permit the land to be used as a public recreation-ground. Owing to the trustees having either died or left the district, the local people decided that the future administration would be facilitated if the land were placed under the control of a Domain Board. The area was declared to be a public domain by section 7of the Reserves and other Lands Disposal Act, 1944. The domain is used for cricket, tennis, picnics, and general recreation. Mahia Domain (Hawlce's Bay).—This area, comprising 1 rood 34-9 perches, is situated on the coast some one hundred and twenty miles north-west from Napier. It was formerly a piece of unoccupied Crown land, but as the Wairoa County Council desired to provide facilities on the area such as shelter sheds and conveniences for the rapidly increasing number of visitors who use the beach at this point as a seaside resort, the land was constituted a public domain and placed under the control of the Council. Wainui-o-Mata Domain (Wellington).—This domain, comprising a total area of 17 acres and 8 perches, consists of a number of reserves which became vested in the Crown for recreation purposes on the subdivision of private land at Wainui-o-Mata, some fifteen miles north-east from Wellington. The area has been placed under the control of a Board of local residents, and it is intended to proceed with a programme of development when funds are available.