SOOTH WESTLAND DEVELOPMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 January 1926, Page 2

SOOTH WESTLAND DEVELOPMENT.

Dr Teichelnianu who has been on a recent visit to Christchurch and Wellington, returned during the holidays. While in Christchurch ho saw the officials of the Progress League regarding the South Westland development scheme, and while in. Wellington, he saw the secretary to the Alarine Department regarding the visit of the Government .steamer, Tutnnekni, while on her next visit to the Sounds to include a stop over at Jackson’s Bay to allow for inspection of the land settlement scheme proposed by the Lands Department. The date of the departure of the steamer is uneretaiii as yet, but it will he in a month’s time or so, and accommodation will lie available for the proposed inspection party to make the tour. Air W. T. Arorpeth, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Wcstlnml, who has taken a deep interest in the road project to open up the country, is to join the steamer at Lyttelton, and will travel round the Island to Jacksons Bay, and make a personal inspection also. Mr Alorpeth believes the scheme proposed will afford scope for material land development. The first essential part of the scheme is reading from Jackson Bay to Oleum. In 1924. Air H. R. Alottram laid out and surveyed a line of road under instructions from the Lauds Department. The surveyor’s cost of forming a 14 foot road from Jackson Bay to'tho north hank of the Okuru River, a distance of 24 miles, is £70,400. From the Bay to Arawata Bridge site a road was surveyed many years ago, and about four miles have been formed. Ki-oul the Arawata to the north bank of tlie Turnbull river the road traverses new country, and has ho<?n lin’d out oil high and dry ground. At the Turnhull River, the existing road formation is met with and continues ns fai as the Okuru River crossing. It is considered necessary to bridge the Okuru River in order to provide for a permanent connection with the Haast country. Jackson Bay is a natural harbour, highly suitable for all practical purposes, and requires only a loading jetty to complete the natural facilities for working the port to the fullest advantage. The country has a magnificent stretch of forest capable of ready export via Jackson Bay, and no doubt a steam tramway would lie speedily laid were private’enterprise given the opportunity to mill the forests adjacent to the port and to living the land into use for pastoral purposes. The scheme means an important advance to the Far South ot A\ estlaml if the whole project can be finally launched. The visit mentioned above is lieiug arranged to that end. The Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department is now enquiring into the ronding project with a view to reporting to the Alinister ol Public Works, who has before him a petition from the southern residents praying for the construction of the road. Ihe scheme is one in regard to which all Westland should become interested as a means to advance the permanent interests of the district by ensuring the opening up of a million acres of land capable of carrying a large additional population within the County of Mosthind. Employment would be created at once in milling and pastoral pursuits, while there is every prospect of early mineral discoveries of great value once population began to flow into a territory which is known to he highly mineralised.