AFFORESTATION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4935, 5 February 1926, Page 1

AFFORESTATION.

POWER BOARD’S ACTION.

PLANTATION AT WAITAKARUBU.

The problem of obtaining adequate (supplies of suitable poleq for power lines has been exercising the minds of members of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board for some time past. At Tuesday’s meeting of the board a letter was received from the Conservator of State Forests,, Rotorua, advising that he had been in communication with the Lands, Department and the State Forest Office, Wellington, in respect to the acquisition by the board of an area of land near Waitakaruru for tree planting purposes. Advice had been received that the price of the area could not be reduced below £4OO, and it would appear, therefore, .that there was no use in making any further efforts to obtain a reduction in price. It was hoped that the circumstances would hot deter the board from going on with the project.

A letter was, also received from the Lands and Survey Department inquiring if the board was desirous of submitting an application to acquire th© freehold of the area, section 29, block VII., Piako survey district.

A special sub-coinmittee which was appointed to go into the matter brought down the following report “We visited the State plantation at Rotorua and sought the advice of the Conservator, Mr Goudie, who discussed the whole matter and offered the fullest advice and .assistance of his department as to suitable varieties to plant, cost of planting, and maintenance, etc. .

“He has also inspected (several properties that have been offered for tree planting, particularly at Putairuru,. Ruakaka, and Waitakaruru. “He has also arranged with the Crown Lands Commissioner concerning our purchase of) section 29, Piako survey district, which this committee recommends the board to acquire. The area is 520 acre®, all workable, situated at Waitakaruru, with a frontage to the main road and proposed PaeroaPokeno railway, and four milee from the Waitakaruru wharf.

“The purchase price is £4‘oo, and Mr Goudie states it is very suitable for the purpose. The whole area is easily accessible, and the cost of transport via road, railway, or wiater could hardly be more favourable. “The increasing cost of wooden poles, coupled with the fact that there does no.t appear to be any definite attempt at afforestation in Australia, warrants - a serious consideration of the subject, and the capital cost of steel or concrete poles does not suggest serious consideration being given to these as substitutes.

“Our estimate of cost has been liberal and our estimate of returns is conservative, and the anticipated results, we consider, fully justify the experiment. It is proposed te. plant 10 acres with 680 trees per acre per annum for 30 years, and we estimate the 3000 poles per annum at the expiration of 30 years.

“No account hap- been taken of thinnings, though it is reasonable to assume some revenue from this source after 20 years.

The actual cash outlay over the 30 years will amount ,to £7250, which, capitalised at 6 per ment. .will amount to £19,000. Taking the timber to be worth 20si per pole at the stump, the nett return to the board will be 15.8 per cent., based on .the present cost of polets- in Australia.

“The scheme means an outlay of less than £6oo' per annum to ensure a lasting supply of . poles at reasonable prices within easy access of all parts of the board’s area, and we confidently recommend it to the board for consideration and adoption. “We tender our (Sincere appreciation to the State Forest Department and the Conservator, Mr Goudie, for the valuable advice and assistance given to our deliberations.”

Oh the motion of the chairman (Mr F. H. Claxton) the report was adopted, and it was decided to inform the Commissioner of Crown Lands that the board would purchase the Section at Waitakaruru, subject to the approval of the Minister.