LAND SETTLEMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 941, 7 April 1930, Page 11

LAND SETTLEMENT

UNDEVELOPED AREAS TO BE WORKED GOVERNMENT’S ACTIVITIES According to official information, since the passing of the Land Laws Amendment Act, in November last, j a great deal of work has been accomplished by the Lands Department in the direction of putting into operation an active and vigorous policy of i land settlement. The personnel of the Lands Development Board established under the Act has been completed by the appointment of a gentleman possession extensive experience both in the farm- 1 ing of ordinary land and the breakingin of undeveloped areas. Advisory committees have been appointed for the purpose of advising and otherwise assisting the Lands Development Board. These committees consist of a Commissioner of Crown Lands and two other persons appointed by the Minister of Lands. Three of them (one in North Auckland, and two in South Auckland) have been in active operation since early in January, during which time they have carried out numerous important inspections. Committees are also being appointed in other districts, their duties being briefly as follow: (1) To inspect all Crown lands in their districts with a view to determining what particular areas are suitable for settlement. (2) To advise generally as to how development should proceed, and to furnish opinions of minimum and maximum areas of proposed sections into which the block under report might be subdivided. Particular attention is to be paid to water facilities, noxious weeds, etc. (3) To report generally on any particular matter referred to the committee by the Lands Developing Beard. WORK UNDER WAY The development has been commenced by the Crown of an area at To Kauwhata in the Waikato, and also of a block of some 2,200 acres of pumice land about 14 miles from Rotorua. This development work is under the direction of expert officers of the Department of Agriculture. Other blocks are being inspected with a view to development work being carried out on areas suitable for the purpose. With regard generally to undeveloped areas, and particularly those comprising pumice land, it is not proposed that all blocks suitable for settlement shall be either wholly or partially developed by the Crown prior to their being offered for selection. It is intended to throw open a large number of sections to meet the immediate demand, and to give applicants an opportunity of establishing an asset by their own labour. These lands will be made available at tho earliest possible date. Some 38 applications for assistance, amounting in all to £23,335, have already been received, and it is expected that this number will increase very considerably as undeveloped sections are taken up from time to time. A preliminary list of undeveloped Crown sections available for selection has already been printed and distributed throughout the Dominion, and further lists will follow from time to time. The selectors of any of the lands described in the list will be eligible to apply to the Lands Development Board for financial assistance. The work of making all suitable lands remaiffing in the hands of the Crown available for selection lias generally been speeded up a great deal. Survey parties have been increased Where required, and road location and engineering works actively put in hand where extensive reading is necessary. PRIVATE ESTATES Wliile it in intended to utilise the provisions of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1929, for the development and settlement of idle Crown lands in all suitable cases, it is at the same time proposed to proceed with the purchase of private estates that can be acquired at prices allowing for successful occupancy under subdivision. Since tlie Government came into office some 955 offers of properties have been received, the bulk of which have been disposed of in various ways. In the majority of cases inspections have been made, but a number of offers were so obviously unsuitable that inspections of the properties concerned were not arranged. In all, 545 inspections have been made, and 664 offers declined. The number of properties purchased is 33, comprising an area of 53,840 acres, and involving a total purchase price of £564,089. The total number of subdivisions to be provided for closer settlement, is approximately 154. Seven of the purchases mentioned above were arranged under the group settlement system, the area of the properties concerned totalling 2,233 acres, the purchase price £66,240, and the number of subdivisions 24. There are also at the present time several other properties which are under consideration. SUBDIVISION OF PROPERTIES Ten of the purchased properties have already been offered for selection, particulars being as follow: Moanaroa, 3 sections, 997 acres (grain and mixed farming); Welburn, 6 sections, 565 acres (dairying); Rockford, 4 sections, 1,737 acres (dairying and mixed farming); Murrayfield, 2 sections, 1,076 acres (mixed farming); Tamatea, 7 sections, 977 acres (dairying) ; Brinklands, 3 sections, 1,120 acres (mixed farming); Aponga, 6 sections, 3,660 acres (grazing); Fernhill, 5 sections. 1,495 acres (dairying); Brydone, 2 sections, 355 acres (grazing) ; Raupo, 4 sections, 907 acres (dairying). The following have been subdivided and advertised and are being balloted for at a very early date: Wilden, 13 sections, 24,005 acres (grazing and mixed farming); Tapanui, 9 sections, 1,497 acres (dairying, cropping and grazing); Roseberry, 15 sections, 3,912 acres (mixed farming); Clunes, 8 sections, 426 acres (mixed farming). On the Wilden estate, two sections, totalling 7,053 acres, have been allotted without competition to former employees on the estate, leaving 11 sections, totalling 16,952 acres, for general application. INTERESTING FIGURES The usual settlement activities of the Department have proceeded and the ordinary requirements of land settlement have been met by the offering of Crown lands in various districts. During the 15 months ending on February 2S last, some 468,915 acres of Crown lands (all tenures) were selected in 2,212 subdivisions. These selections were divided between permanent and ternporary tenures.