A NATIONAL PARK IN THE WAITAKERES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 231, 19 December 1927, Page 16

A NATIONAL PARK IN THE WAITAKERES

ASSOCIATION’S SCHEME CITY SHOULD CONTRIBUTE Two years ago the Waitakere Ranges Association was formed, and the first report has now been issued. This detals the efforts of the association toward having a national park desclared in the ranges, both the city and the Government having so far been approached without anything being gained. "Taking into account the fact that the council has such extensive interests in the ranges, and the fact that the ownership of this large area of land deprives the Waitemata County of a considerable loss of rates, it is surely equitable that the city should make reasonable and regular contributions to the maintenance of roads in the district. The burden of getting sufficient rates to give access is a heavy one on the few farmers, states the report. The report points out that the city ratepayers can barely be expected to face the whole of the cost of park areas in the ranges, and remarks: "Until some form of metropolitan council is constituted which could handle such a scheme on behalf of the 200,000 people of greater Auckland, It is doubtful whether we can get much further forward ” DISAPPEARING BUSH "The regrettable thing is that so much bush is being burnt, either by accident or design each year,” remarks the report. “The city has been asked to spend £IOO in putting in some permanent fireplaces at suitable spots, but in preference to spending this paltry sum they prefer to risk property worth £50,000, and 4 the fire danger increases. ROADING QUESTIONS The committee in advocating that the City Council take over a portion of the ranges, does not look for extensive expenditures all at once. Apart from the proposals dealing with picnic grounds just mentioned, it feels that the urgent need is for the gradual provision of two or three all-weather roads, first a good metalled road across the ranges to the West Coast: second a ridgeway road connecting up the gaps in existing roads from Titirangi along the north-eastern face of the hills to the Swanson end, and thereafter the opening of tracks and the construction of other roads from time to time as found necessary.