LAND DEVELOPMENT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 56, 30 August 1939, Page 5

LAND DEVELOPMENT

HEADQUARTERS LEAVE THORNTON MOVED TO ROTORUA During the past few months officials of the Lands' Development section of the Lands and Survey Department have been engaged in trans feeing the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty headquarters of their activities from Thornton to Rotorua. It was explained by Mr A. SI. Linton, head of the departments develop, ment activities in this area that the large exenstons in land development works in the Rotorua area had made the transfer advisable. The Thornton depot for the office had been established some years bebefore, Sir Linton explained, when the development of the Onepu district east of the, Tarawcra river, was commenced later operations in the Orini, Edgeeumbe, Wharere (Slaketu), Jensen and Galatea blocks had been directed from Thornton. As the amount of undeveloped Crown land in' those areas, however, had become and the newer schemes were initiated to the south and west of' Rotorua i it was found that Rotorua would be a more central spot from which to direct operations. In the Rotorua district there were four important schemes, Tokoroa, Waikitc, Whirinaki and Paeroa, the last of which embraced the Paeroa, Slihi and Reporoa blocks. In addition to the development of all those areas, the office had also established a sawmill near Te Whaiti ? and a post-splitting gang at Oruanui, to provide the 50 ? 000 posts used annually by the department for fencing. Although many critics had expressed the opinion thnt the pumice land under development at the present time would never be in a condition for profitable farming Sir Linton considered, that according to results so far obtained, the indications were that the new country, when fully grassed, would be if not superior to any other land in the district. Slost blocks had been grassed to some extent, and in all cases the new grass was showing up well. The amount of country vet to be developed on the old blocks, said Sir Linton, was as follows:— acres Orini 850 Edgeeumbe .. .. 4500 Wharere (rich swamp) .. 2500 Jensen's 1500 Galatea 17000 The new sawmill at Te Whaiti, which commenced operations last December lias, since that time produced 15 000 posts, a further 20, - 000 having been, drawn from a reserve supph T held at Galatea. The area of new land for development in the Rotorua district is j-hown below with details of the different blocks;.—acres Tokoroa 5500 Waikite 10000 Whirinaki ~ 1500 Paeroa 10000 In charge of operations on the various blocks are Sir Linton himself, with his hcadqnavtcrs at Rotorua, where there is an office staff of nine and six overseers with large gang; of men under them.