CROWN LANDS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 144, 20 August 1941, Page 2

CROWN LANDS

REPORT ON SETTLEMENT

ACTIVITIES

RETURNED SOLDIERS

"Large-scale operations have been carried out on aicas of Grown land and land which has been purchased for development prior to settlement," states the annual report of the Lands and Survey Department on the settlement of Grown lands. ''Some of the areas that are being developed will be available for the settlement of soldiers returning aft-o-r the war. It is also possible that employment may be provided on development work for returned men desirous of undertaking farming pursuits, who arc not fully qualified to farm properties of their own, or who will benefit by a period of training under supervision.' 1

The report states that the reduction in the supplies of superphosphate will necessitate a suspension of the development of virgin or deteriorated lands, by the department. In addition, the reduced amount available for top-dressing must affect lands.

The work of amalgamating and re-grouping uneconomic Crown leaseholds has been continued.

At March 31 the tenants on the books of the department numbered 35,752s occupying a total area oi approximately 17,807,656 acres. Pas-> toral runs accounted for 8,129,865 acres, and 1,727,941 acres of purchased estates were held under the provisions for the Land for Settle ment Act. ■

More than 300,000 acres of Grown land has been handed over to the State Forest Service for proclamation as permanent State forest, and approval has been given to the permanent reservation of mere than 335,000 acres of provisjonal State

forest reserves

At March 31 the private land purchased and Crown land set apart for development under the Small Farms Board totalled 160,610 acres. Most of the areas are in the Auckland and Taranaki land districts.