LAND SETTLEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 23 November 1932, Page 8

LAND SETTLEMENT

NEW AREAS AVAILABLE.

WELLINGTON, November 21.‘

Land settlement 'activities were reviewed last evening liy 'the Minister of'Lands, Hon; ! E; Ai‘Ransom, who recently inspected Several of the developlheh't' areas* in the north.' Visits were paid by Mr' Ransom to the Onepu block at the top end of the Rangitaiki Plains, the Galatep,' block, the Ngakura block, and several ' development a’reas- m the North'Auckland peninsula, lib said he was more than pleased with the results' being'obtained. ■

Mr Ransom said the Galatea block was' purchased by the Government in Maxell last. Pending the completion of. a programme of development work it was being farmed by the Lands Department as a sheep and cattle station,, A good portion of the area was -in fair -pasture, and the condition of the.stock vcas excellent, The development work was proceeding on the lighter portion of the estate, and already good: progress had been madeAn; area of 2000 acres had been cultivated and partly sown down in grass, and arrimgements had been made to haVe a, total „area of 6000 acres in new pastures by next spring. It had to bet remembered that the. intention -of the Government way to convert into a dairying settlement 22,000 acres of land which for 50 yea-s had been used as a sheep and cattistation. No manures,'had'befen- use ! in the past■ to maintain the pastures, and consequently some time was essential to’ e’nable the department to renew portion of the grassland "and rehabilitate the balance. That was imperative to ensure the success of those whd eventually would take up the sections for dairy farming purpo s es ; .

“The "Ngakura development area, which'is situated in the centre of" a large tract of pumice land about 20 miles from Rotorua,” said Mr Ransom, “has in two years been transformed 'from a waste" of scrub and ground weeds into high-class dairying pasture. “The results obtained from the demonstration farm last season were most encouraging, and six addit'onri farms are now in full working order under a" share-milking scheme. ‘‘Next season this numbe.- will he further increased, and by 1934 the whole of the pastures "frill be ' sufficiehtly'consolidated to'permit of the permanent settlement of the whole of tlffi cultivated area, approximately 6300 acres.

The whole block comprises 14.000 acres, but the rougher portions are not suitable ter settlement, and as the district is a treeless one I have instructed that thes portions be afforested under the direction of the State Forest -Service With a view-to the provision of firewood and timber.”