TAUPO ROAD BUSH

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 22 November 1927, Page 8

TAUPO ROAD BUSH

AREA FOR SCENIC RESERVE ACQUISITION TO BE URGED. HASTINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ’S DECISION. The Hastings Chamber of Commerce has received a letter from the Napier Thirty Thousand Club, enclosing a copy of a communication forwarded by th e Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) to Mr John Mason, M.P., dealing with the protest-made against the alienation to private persons of portions of the Tarawera Block, on the main Taupo road. The ThirtyThousand Club contended that this letter contained nothing definite and urged tho Hastings Chamber to communicate with th e Primo Minister, protesting against the destruction of the beautiful bush on both sides of the Taupo road, from the Te Horoto Uescrv e to beyond Turangokuma. Mr Hallett drew attention to tho rights of tho native owners, who had to find tho survey charges over tho block the interest on which was acculating. These owners were poor and they wanted the land cleared of the timber, which was worth about £3 an acre, so as to bring them in revenue until the area was cleared, when they could put it under cultivation. They should be paid the full market value of tlic bush acquired and not the Government valuation. These scenic reserves should be set aside before the blocks wer e partitioned. Mr F. E. Smith explained that he did not mean to suggest that the bush should be taken at the Government value. They wanted the owners to be treated justly and should be given the same price for the property as other buyers wer a prepared to pay for it. He considered that the minimum area required was 300 acres along the road, with a depth of about fifteen chains 'on either side for tho scenic effect in connection with tho tourist traffic which should be a great asset to New Zealand. It appeared to him that these scenic reserves should be set aside before the Government deals with the various blocks for settlement or other purposes.

It was decided to write the Prime Minister, urging the acquisition from the natives of an area of the bush requisite for a scenic reserve, and that in the interest of the native owners and of all concerned, the matter be expedited as speedily as possible.