DAY'S BAY BUSH.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1977, 6 February 1914, Page 5

DAY'S BAY BUSH.

' AS A NATIONAL PARK. THE PREMIER INTERVIEWED, CONDITIONS STATED. LOCAL BODIES MUST ACT FIRST. A lack of unanimity was -shown by the members of a- large* and represcnta* tivo deputation whic-li interviewed the 1 rimo Minister yesterday in reference to the acquisition of t?ie Day's Bay bush as a public reserve. While Mr.'C; P. Skerrett, who was one of the- principal speakers, urged that tho area should bo acquired by the Government under :7 ™. er J Preservation Art, tie Mayor or Wellington and some other speakers suggested tfyat the Government should take the initiative, but that the local bodies should replaco part of the outlay by way of annual payments. Mr. Massey declined consider the first-men-tioned alternative, but said that the Government would assist if the local a?' n s to 7?. k the initiative. The Hob. I''. M. B. Fisher introduced, the deputation, in the absence of the Hon. A. L. 'ni? rc V? an ' membership included: £ H ? r n u Dr - Coll'ns'. Messrs.- W. H. D. 8e11.M.P., T. M. Wilford, M.P., and ;\V H. Hmdmarsh, M.P., the .Mayor ' . ■ Luke), and a number of city councillors; Mr. R. Floicher of tho Harbour Board,) Mf.W, J. Or*. gan_(Mayor of Eastbourne), Messrs. J. G. Duncan and W. Perry .(Rugby UnI jee (chairman Education ?T 0a , r )/ r ' A. Welsh (chairman, Hutt County Couucil), Mr. K. -S. Bure (Tennis Association), Mr. J. jr. Atkins (Swimming Association), Messrs. M. J. Reardon and D. M'Lsreti (District Labour Council), Mr. C. P. Skerrett (Sports Protection League), and a number of others.

M r - J- P- Luke (Mayor of Wellingsaid 1 that the request of. the deputation lad Lis sympathy.. Under ordinary circumstances a local body should, not go cap in hand to th© Gove.rnineiit, but m the case of the Day's Bay bush there was a community of interest. This area was situated adjacent to a borough which had a small population and a limited revenue. He suggested that the Government should acquire the property and enable the local bodies to repay the outlay by means of a sinking fund extending over a long term of years. His personal view was that the Wellington City Council should contribute towards the cost of acquiring ijio. reserve in the way. of an annual payment, hut he did not think that the city .should assume responsibility for the' capital sum in question.- The reserve would naturally be controlled by the .Eastbourne Borough Council. i

An Irreplaceable Estate, Mr. C. P. Skerrett said that the deputation represented an earnest, attempt to preserve for the nation a great, unique, and irreplaceable estate, which would- ot'hcrwiso be lost to the community., It was because of the ialue of the forest to the nation that they appealed to the Government for assistance. The Day's Bay bush was a typical example of the areas which had been acquired by the Government throughout the country, and tho deutation asked that the Government, in acquiring it, should uso the machinery and the funds provided for- the purpose. Mr. Massey: What docs tliac mean ? Mr.'Skerrett: That you should acquire this area under the Scenery Preservation Act of 1908. * ■

Mr. Massey: And pay tho wholo" cost ? Mr. Skerrett: And pay the whole cost —tiiat is our submission at present, Tho deputation had been organised purely in, the jiublic'interest, not concerned with the interests of the present. owhers of the Day's Bay bush. Besides the 620 acres of forest there was an area of 6 acres which was considered suitable for building sites, and another area divided, into playing gl-ounds. His concern was wholly with tho forest land. There wrro'difficulties attending tW- acquis*, .tion of tho other lands, but the wrest land was severablo and could be acquired separately. It was impossible to cxiggcrate the charm of the bash and its botanical interest. It Seemed strange to him that objections had actually been raised to the acquisition of the area as a scenic reserve on tho . ground that it -was near a city. The -sunt standing to the credit of tho Scenery .Preservation Act was no less than £-10,000; Tho Day's Bay bush would bo easily preserved. It had not the same susceptibility to fire as scenic reserves in .otlier parts of the country. Eastbourne could not acquire tho tescrvo evion with tho assistance that Wellington would give. ; If tho Government did not accede to tho request the bush would be irretrievably list. The bush of no great valuo for -milling purposes; and was not very suitable for building purposes. Probably if it tvero not acquired by tho public it'would be dis-. posed of in considerable areas to private owners. There was no authority for' local bodies to combine to acquire outside areas.. . Air. Massey : That can bo 1 easily put right—a short bill. Mr. Skerrett: A'ou have the money, you have the; machinery, and all you want is the inclination. He continued that the prico asked for, the forest wa.o £'6000, about £10 an acre. The six acres of building land were valued by the owners at £500, and the playing areas fronting the bay at £8250.. , Mr. W. J. Organ (Mayor of Eastbourne) contented himself with emphasising tho representative character of the deputation.

"They Don't Agree." The Hon. Dr. Collins heartily supported what had boon said by the Mayor and Mr. Skerrett. Mr. Massey: Tlicy don't agree. Dr. Collins: They do as to tho desirability of acquiring tho land. The preservation of the reserve would bo of the 'utmost value to the people of Wellington and adjacent areas in future years. He recommended that ill© local 'bodies should combine with the Government- to acquire the reserve. Mr.lT. M. Wilford (meuibcrtfor Hiitt) urgedithat the land should be acquired but said that tho price demanded , was extortionate. Tho Government, ho considered, should provide the capita) sura required, and allow the local bodies to mako their contributions in tho shape of interest and sinking-fund payments. Mr. R. Darroch urged that the playing areas as well as tho bush should be acquired. Mr. M. J. IJeatdon (District Labour Council) objected to tlie- suggestion that Wellington should acquire tho bush. The city, ho said, had bcon hampered considerably by lack erf playing areas, and had spent largo sums iii forming them under difficulties. What was done for Wellington was done for the nation. Providing a park adjacent to Wellington was a moro iin[tortant matter than tho acquisition of further areas around Tongariro or in any similar situation. He supported the view expressed by Mr. Darroch that tho playing areas as well as the forest should be acquired, Mr. D. M'Laren said that during his term as Mayor of Wellington the area at Day's Bay was offered to the corporation, but at a prico that was regarded as excessive. He supported the view that reserves should be provided where they would bo r,f niest use to the people of tlie country.

PRIME MINISTER IN REPLY. "SHOULD BE PCBLIC PROPERTY.'' The Prime Minister said that tills was

■ not tho first timo ho had heard of this matter. Ho had seen the Day's Bay >wsh, and agreed with what Jind bfieii said about its interest and value. Ho agreed, too, that it should he public property, and if the deputation had been Unanimous, and had asked tho Government to assist the local bodies {Wellington city avid sviburbs) to acquire tho property, he Would liavo- been prepared to recommend tho Government to do so. Tho Departmental view of tho matter (which would not necessarily determine tha decision of the Government) was that, the bush on tho slopes fafiijiE the harbour was well worth preserving, but that the remaining 400 acres had been damaged by fire, and had no -scenic value whatever. Tho Department considered that tho 200 acres lying to tho westward of tho main ridgo might be worth acquiring if the Hutt County Council undertook to protect that area with a, fire-broak. Mr. Massey continued that ho was not able to meet half .the recommendations that came iu t rom tko Scenery Preservation Board. Every week recommendations oamo along: for tho purchase of properties that, really ought to bo purchased—for instance, on the Wangamu and Mokau Rivers—but frequently he could not provide tho money as it was urgently needed for Other purposes. Reference had been made to the leiiganro National Park. Something -would have to be dono soon about that area. He had a scheme in hand for the improvement of the Park, but could not yet mate the details .pubhc, He was Hot prepared to say that- be-was going to recommend the Government' to acquire the Day's Boy bush under the Scenery Preservation Act, bufc if the weal bodies cam© along -~as the Cbristchnrch people did tho other, day, whsn they wanted to purchase a Valuable property near their city—and took tho initiati?®, then the Government would do its duty and find paft of the purchase mofiey. "If yon conic along and say that you arc coifi** ? U i y })}? ' all< V M r. Massey con" eluded, tho • Government will help you. I can't go any further than that at present.