WASTE LANDS BOARD.

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 212, 2 August 1878, Page 5

WASTE LANDS BOARD.

» Wednesday, July 31. Present : The Chief Commissioner, Messrs Bastings, Bradshaw, and Clark. Mr Gillies, for Messrs Russell, Ewing, and Co., applied for a seven years' lease" of a piece of land at Pembroke, Lake Wanaka, for a jetty site, under clause 86 of the Act of 1877.— Granted, with reservation of road through reserve. Messrs M'Laren and Turnbull, lessees of Moutere run, asked that a slight alteration be made in the proposed boundary of the block to be taken for agricultural settlement, as otherwise it would be impossible for them to work their sheep. — Granted. With regard to Mr W. D. Morrison's application to purchase, under agricultural lease, section 23, block VII, Tuapeka , West, Mr Ireland, instructed by Mr J. Matheson, inquired if the conditions of the lease had been complied with and the' usual certificate of the Warden obtained. — The Board stated that everything was in order. Messrs Sarguison and Telfor applied for a coal lease of two acres of lignite reserve at Waikaka. — Referred to ranger for report. A memo, was read from the UnderSecretary with reference to the Board's recommendation that Mr J. Gall be allowed to purchase, at 40s per acre, land, on run 327, stating that the land had been reserved for educational purposes, and could not be dealt with under the Otago Reserves Act of 1874.— Mr Bastings re-, marked that the operation of the Public Reserves Act of 1874 had fallen through in consequence of the repealing of the Act of 1872, and there was now no way of dealing with such matters as this. He might say that he intended moving in tho question in the Assembly during the present session. Ranger Valpy reported on Mr Allan Mann's application for an extension of his mill-site at Maungatua to twenty acres, and recommended that if the land bedealt with it should be sold in sections of say five acres each. Application declined, Mr David Buchanan applied to perchase section 14, block 111, Glenkenich, the= allotment having been up thrice on deferred payments and abandoned.— The Board had no power to grant the application. Mr H. Manders, M.H.R., forwarded: the following petition from residents inthe Lake County : — "To the Chief Commissioner and the* members of the Land Board. — This memorial respectfully showeth that a demand for land for the purpose of agricultural settlement exists. That in the district known as the head of Lake Wakatip land of good quality is to be found, and that portions of it have been surveyed. Some of it has been sold by auction, absorbed by the pastoral tenant under various rights, and a small area hasbeen settled under the deferred payment system. That at the time the land waa submitted for sale by auction accurate knowledge of its capabilities for cultivation was not current. That several applications have been made to your Honourable Board to throw open for settlement the land situate upon Run 346, but so far without any good result ; the consequence being that fmany intending settlers have left the district, disappointed in finding a field for settlement. That much of the land surveyed has not been open for such settlement, and that it would be desirable to resurvey the area of country extending from Simpson's Creek to the Oxburn into farms of about 320 acres in extent. That such a survey would give farms of frontages to the flats, and include the alluvial terraces aiid the grassy slopes of the hill, all being good land as a rule. That the runholder has already acquired some 2,900 acres of the flat lands through which the Dart and Rees rivers run, and therefore has ample level land for the working of his run, and that he also practically occupies Glenorchy township and its reserves. That the several surveys have been published by and under authority of the Survey Department, and some were made as early as 1870 ; but still the land is locked up. Your memorialists therefore pray that your Honourable Board will be pleased to take such action as may lead to a block of land to the extent of 10,000 acres or thereabouts being thrown open for settlement, under the Agricultural Lease Regulations at an early date." — Signed by sixty residents. The petition was referred to the District Land Officer to report on. The Secretary to the Education Board asked that section 33, block VII, Tiger Hill, to be set apart as a school site.— l • Government to be requested to do as requested. The following petition from residents at Blacks was read : — "The memorial, of the undersigned humbly showeth that a large number oi. the residents of this locality are anxious to obtain land to settle upon, and at the present time there is not an acre in the district open for settlement fit for agricultural purposes. We, therefore, beg your honourable Board will be pleased to cau: o a block of 10,000 acres adjoining block V. , Tiger Hill, to be opened for selection under the agricultural lease regulations, and to be surveyed in sections as near as can conveniently be done of 320 acres each." — (Signed by seventy-six persons.) Commissioners Clark and Green had last week recommended that a block At 5,340 acres be opened, and Jhe Board ri<*'- 1, adopted that , recommendation.—- Govei - < ment to be recommended, to; take* steps to give effect to the same. A yjyy} . The Chairman of the VmcentCCoutvyjA/A Council Avrote forwarding A X approval of the Board's decision r^;th* ; ,^ : fy| • ing "open land on Montere run.-^Relad^&fl^ ■ ' - ■ ■■■■■■'''■■ AA*t>W§ms&