Stock To Be Grazed On Paritutu Centennial Park

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1942, Page 6

Stock To Be Grazed On Paritutu Centennial Park

"I very much dislike the idea of putting stock on the reserve, but in view of the difficulty of obtaining labour for maintenance I see no alternative, ' said Mr. T. Horton, superintendent of reserves, when presenting his report to a meeting of th.e Paritutu Centennial Park Committee at New Plymouth. Mr. Horton stated that in company with Mr. Mark James he had inspected the park and he thought it necessary to graze sheep on the area to keep the growth down. Any unprotected small trees might be chewed by the stock but even if they were destroyed it would be less expensive to replace them with well grown strong trees than to remove them to a nursery area where they would have to receive constant attention. If the three planted areas were fenced and made secure from stock they \ -"ld be permanently preserved. In presenting his report, Mr. R. F. Mainland, borough engineer, said a markcd improvement in the appearance of the park resulted when sheep were placed there last year and he ^-ecommended a contiuance of the scheme. The steps erected about 18 months ago to provide access to the beach below the car parking area were now undermined and the whole of the lower part of the slope was moving, Mt. Mainland said. Access to the beach at this point would have to be abandoned so it was recommended that all the steps should be salvaged and stored in the borough yards. The bathing sheds had been completed. Loose stones were removed from the old quarry face by the army authorities but because of the disfigurement caused the practice was stopped. . .