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LAND IMPROVEMENTS Whang arei Sub-district. —At Oyster Point Block 73 chains of new fences have been erected, and 46| chains of stop-banks have been rebuilt involving 9,500 cubic yards of earthwork. Ordinary maintenance has been, carried out in addition to repairs to stop-banks extensively damaged by high winds and tides. Sand-dune Reclamation.—"Work at reclamation areas has progressed steadily during the year and, in spite of man-power shortage, a considerable amount has been accomplished. At "Woodhill-Helensville reclamation line-clearing for the year amounted to 766 miles; line-cutting, 211 miles; internal roading, 5£ miles; buildings erected, 15; rabbits trapped, 5,550; marram replanted, 223 acres; trees planted, 246,734; and trees lined out in nurseries, 464,950. At Maioro (Manukau Heads) reclamation new planting of marram-grass amounted to 248 acres; lupin sown, 350 acres; line-cutting, 132 miles; lineclearing, 1,723 miles; trees planted, 143 acres; trees lined out in nurseries, 184,000; seedlings sold to farmers, 15,800; and seeds sown to raise 465,000 trees. Telephone-lines totalling 187 chains have been erected to fire-fighting depots. On the Kariotahi Block, 4,000 trees have been planted. At the Hokio-Manawatu reclamation 41 acres have been planted with a total of 172,260 trees and 55 acres have been planted with marram. In the nursery 47,050 seedlings have been lined out. Pruning of the larger trees on 550 acres has been carried out. A further 1,200 acres adjacent to the nursery block is to be acquired shortly. Land Clearing.—Land clearing and drainage for farmers has again fulfilled a want, especially in Southland, where the demand for the use of the Department's mechanical plant for the purpose has been great. In the Ohakune area 865 acres have been stumped and 376 acres rooted. Total expenditure, £5,475; total recoveries, £5,862. In the Westport area land-clearing work had of necessity to be curtailed because of the demand for the machines on priority jobs connected with opencast coal-mining. Nevertheless, acres have been cleared, 45 acres heavy disc-ploughed, and 47 acres light disced. In Southland, 1,920 acres have been cleared, 2 miles 11 chains of farm access roads formed, 1 mile 30 chains of stop-banks formed for flood-protection of farms, and 15 miles 76 chains of drains dug for farm drainage and reclamation of 600 aeresl of swamp. Berwick State Forest,—During the year a further miles of road have been gravelled. Some 35 chains of stream channel have been improved. HOUSING SERVICES CONSTRUCTION In Wellington City and Johnsonville 6,000 square yards of road have been formed and metalled for 193 housing units, 5,750 square yards of road sealed, 4,300 lineal feet kerbed and channelled, 18,500 lineal feet of sewers and storm-water drains laid, and 1,100 lineal feet of water reticulation completed.

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