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1949 NE W ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY SETTLEMENT OF CROWN LANDS (ANNUAL REPORT ON)

Presented to Both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency

Sir _ Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 30th June, 1949. I have the honour to submit the annual report on the settlement of Crown lands for the year ended 31st March, 1949, together with particulars of operations under the Small Farms Act, 1932-33, the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1929, and the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Sales Act, 1943. I have, &c., D. M. Greig, Director-General of Lands. The Hon. the Minister of Lands.

REPORT GENERAL REVIEW The year has been marked by steady progress in the acquisition and development of land for ex-servicemen settlement. Some improvement in supplies of fertilizer and an easing of the position in regard to fencing-wire have assisted in speeding up settlement, but operations have been hampered to some extent by shortages of water-piping, and the difficulty in securing expeditious erection of buildings in rural areas. In an effort to speed up settlement temporary living-accommodation is being provided in suitable cases pending the erection of housing. Although climatic conditions have not been altogether favourable in some localities, Crown tenants generally have had a successful year, and, as will be seen later in this report, there has been a marked reduction in the arrears owing by Crown tenants. As at the 31st March, 1949, tenants on the books of the Department numbered 34,265, occupying a total area of approximately 17,003,297 acres. Public demand for farm land is still at a very high level, but until full provision has been made for ex-servicemen the opportunities for civilian settlement on Crown land are necessarily limited. A Land Utilization Officer was appointed during the year, and a commencement has been made with a survey of the undeveloped land resources of the Dominion. In the meantime this work has been confined to the Rotorua - Taupo - Bay of Plenty districts, but it will be extended to other areas as soon as the requisite staff and organization have been built up. The immediate objective of the survey is to determine the