REPRESENTATION WANTED ON LAND COMMITTEE

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 41, 27 May 1965, Page 1

REPRESENTATION WANTED ON LAND COMMITTEE

Complaints that the Taupo district had been entirely ignored in representation on the Rotorua Land Settlement Committee were made at Tuesday's meeting of Taupo County Council. The council decided to to the Minister of Lands, expre its ment, and urging him to ensure the district had representation on the committee.

Members agreed that the matter was a vital one for both county and district. They added that some of the present committee had little experience or knowledge of pumiceland farming.

The matter arose when the Commissioner of Crown Lands advised that the committee for the ensuing three years would comprise Messrs A. D. Dibley (Ngongotaha), J. J. L. Spence (Lake Okareka), with C. R. White (Waimana) and J. B. Thomas (Reporoa) as associate members. Cr R. B. Dick told the council that a joint meeting of Federated Farmers branches had approached the commissioner asking for representation on the committee. He felt the Minister should he advised the Taupo county had no representation 011 it.

The chairman, Mr H. M. Besley: It is Federated Farmers' job, not the council's. Cr Dick: No. It is ours. I represent the farmers. We all do. He had been concerned for some time that representation had been centred on Rotorua, said Cr U. R. MacDonald. "The Taupo district should make strong representations to have someone from the area on the committee. It would be only courteous to allow the county some say in the appoihtments. "This is just keeping younger men out. They could do a better job than the older men who should be bowing out by now." Cr P. J. Mann said the Taupo " county had most development, and the fastest growing areas. Experience of the pumice country was required on the committee. "There is one man on the committee whose farming experience has been right away from the pumicelands and who has only worked large holdings," said Cr J. M. Black. "When

it comes to experience of rtight, close farming, the' committee just hasn't got it. "Most of the committee is physically unable to get round some of the areas," Cr Black went on, adding that members had to travel by Land Rover to see areas under discussion. "If a man can't walk over the land being inspected, he should not be on the committee.". Cr Black concluded. Later the council decided to approach the local Member of Parliament, Mrs Rona Stevenson, to arrange a visit to Taupo by Mr Gerard in his- dual capacity as Minister of Lands and Forestry. "We have been completely ignored by him," Cr MacDonald complained. "The council has written to him time after time on many matters and has neither heard nor seen anything of him." At that stage the council was discussing the level of j Lake Taupo.