VALUABLE AREA

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 76, 20 November 1931, Page 6

VALUABLE AREA

PRODUCTION AND WIDE EXTENT OF ROTORUA COUNTY. THE VALUATION FIGURES Despite the depression, there is perhaps no distriet in New Zealand where such extensive developmental work is at present in progress as in the Rotorua County. With the extension of Maori and European developmental schemes, the planting of large areas of afforestation, and the bringing into cultivation and producti vity, increasing areas of scrub and fallow land, the aggregate production of the distriet has already increased to a very marked degree. The output of the Ngongotaha dairy factory has increased by over 400 tons in the last threq years and this increase alone reflects the strides which the dairying industry. is making in this distriet. Since August 10 of this year, the factory has produced over 265 tons of butter as against 250 tons for the same period of last year. Thirty-seven new suppliers, representing the output of approximately 3000 new cows have also been added to the factory's supply during the present season, and with the prospect of the Guthrie settlement and other developmental areas being brought into production next dairying season, the output of the factory should undoubtedly increase to an eve:q greater extent. In addition to this, the output of wool and timber represents a substantial and mounting figure which should also receive a further impetus as further areas are brought into production. When the last county valuation was carried out in 1928, the capital value of lands in European occupation was shown to be £684,276, with an unimproved value of £296,799, and improvements representing a value of £387,477. Lands in native occupation had a capital value of £112,436, an unimproved value of £93,951, and improvements valued at £18,485. In addition to these rateable lands, however, there is in the 989 square miles of the county area, a very large proportion of State and Crown lands which are exempt from rating. The capital value of these in 1928 was shown to be £110,959, the unimproved value £73,503, and the value of improvements £37,456. These figures entirely excluded timber and trees, with a capital value estimated at £876,585. The total capital valuation of the county at the time of the valuation was £907,671, the unimproved value £464,253, and the value of improvements £443,418.