REHABILITATION

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32307, 1 September 1943, Page 6

REHABILITATION

PLAN FOR PENINSULA FUTURE OF THE DISTRICT DR. BIRKINSHAW’S PROPOSALS The following suggestions for rehabilitation work on the Coromandel Peninsula, will be placed before the Coromandel Rehabilitation Committee by Dr. Frank Birkinshaw at next Wednesday’s meeting of the committee.

Dr. Birkinshaw’s suggestions are as under:—

•Coromandel will remain essentially a New Zealand backblock unless certain positive steps are taken or unless gold is rediscovered.

Leaving the question of gold out of consideration, the reason for the above fact is that (a) the land is hilly and not suitable for profitable private cultivation except in certain flat areas; (b) the question of difficult transport owing to poor roads; (c) the lack of electric light and power, and (d) the fact that as the roads circle the coast, they service country only on one side of the roadway.

It would seem therefore that Coromandel will become populated only under certain specified conditions, (a) It is very near to the chief city of New Zealand (40 miles by sea to Auckland); and its scenic attractions may be capitalised especially when air travel becomes commonplace after the war. (b) By the starting of secondary industries, (c) By natural increase of population or by immigration.

■Of the above (a)' and (b) are possible, while (c) is improbable for a number of years.

Any scheme for rehabilitation must necessarily appeal to the country as a whole and to those who are to be rehabilitated, and not only to the interests of Coromandel. Any scheme which depends on the settlement of returned soldiers or poor farms or bn putting them on manual labour making roads for the benefit of Coromandel ratepayers is doomed to failure. The following scheme is feasible and likely to be profitable. Broadly speaking, it consists of (a) declaration of the whole of Coromandel County as a scenic reserve, (b) State purchase of all pieces of land likely to be of use as hostels or motor camps. i(c) The ■ building of a motor road encircling the 'Peninsula, (that is, from Port Jackson to Port Charles, and from Whangapoua via Kuaotunu to Mercury Bay. (d) The erection of .Gov-, ernment hostels at Amodeo Bay, Port Jackson, Port Charles and Whangapoua. (e) The re-afforestation of all hilly country in the Peninsula which may be suitable, (f) The building of small landing fields at Coromandel, Port Charles, Port Jackson, Whangapoua and Mercury Bay. (g) The electrification of the Peninsula, (h) The division of the forestation areas into blocks, (i) the building of State houses for the use of wardens in each block. (j) The erection of a pulp factory near the wharf at Coromandel. Although this scheme may sound ■optimistic, it must be remembered

that there must be unemployment in

the post-war periods unless such schemes are put into operation. Also, the Auckland Province is one of the most closely populated in the country, and those engaged on this, scheme will not be far from their homes. In addition, there will be after the war a large number of men who are not

fitted for heavy work,' and who will want more or less out-door work. This scheme will utilise such men (exmembers of the Air Force for instance) on the landing fields, and suitable men with their wives can be put in charge of the tourist hotels. If this scheme is accepted by the local rehabilitation committee, preliminary work should include the inspection of suitable areas by forestry experts, and the building up of an advertising ’campaign stressing the scenic beauties of a more, or less generally unknown area less than 20' minutes by air from Auckland.