DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY PUBLIC DOMAINS AND NATIONAL PARKS OF NEW ZEALAND (ANNUAL REPORT ON)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1943 Session I, C-10

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1943 NEW ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY PUBLIC DOMAINS AND NATIONAL PARKS OF NEW ZEALAND (ANNUAL REPORT ON)

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency

Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 25th. May, 1943. Sir, —- I have the honour to submit a report on the public domains and national parks of the Dominion for the year ended 31st March, 1943. I have, &c., 11. G. Maomorran, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Hon. the Minister of Lands.

REPORT PART I.—PUBLIC DOMAINS At the 31st March, 1943, the total number of public domains administered under the provisions of Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928, was 811, covering a total area of approximately 79,173 acres. Fifty-five of these domains are controlled by the various Commissioners of Crown Lands, 285 are controlled by local authorities acting as Domain Boards, and the remaining 471 are controlled by local Boards appointed from time to time. During the year four new domains with a total area of 46 acres were reserved and brought under Part II of the Act and arrangements made for their control. Additions totalling 117 acres were also made to fourteen existing domains. Particulars of the new domains are as follows :— An area of 5 acres situated at Oteramika, some 20 miles from Invercargill, was constituted as the Oteramika Centennial Domain. This land, which was acquired by the local people with the assistance of a small Government grant, is to be developed for use as a sports ground. Following on representations made by the Henderson Town Board, a Crown-owned area of approximately 5 acres situated at Henderson, near Auckland, was reserved for recreation purposes and placed under the control of the Town Board acting as a Domain Board. This domain, which is bounded by a stream, contains some native trees and will make a suitable public park in a growing district not well served with reserves. An area of some 34 acres situated at Northcote Road, Takapuna, was acquired for domain purposes out of funds raised, locally, subsidized by a Government grant. This property, previously known as Smith's Bush, has been constituted as the Onewa Domain and placed under the control of a Board fully representative of local interests. The domain contains some fine native bush, the preservation of which will be of great benefit to the residents of Auckland and the adjacent districts. The remaining domain, constituted during the year, was an area of acres situated at Te Awanga Township, a seaside resort some ten miles from Hastings. This area is known as the Te Awanga Domain.

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Additions to existing domains were made as follows : —

PART lI.—NATIONAL PARKS An important event during the year was the constitution of the Abel Tasman National Park situated in Tasman Bay, Nelson. The park comprises an area of 37,622 acres, made up of 21,900 acres of provisional State forest, 14,354 acres of Crown land, and 1,368 acres of scenic and other reserves situated in the Totaranui, Kaiteriteri, Waitapu, and Takaka Survey Districts, and covering what is sometimes known as the Kaiteriteri Peninsula. It is granite country, much of which is still in virgin bush, and possesses great scenic and botanic value, while the historical associations of Tasman, D'Urville, and Captain Wakefield with that part of Tasman Bay give it added interest as a national reserve. There are miles of rugged coast-line, open bays, beautiful rivers with many falls, and fine beaches with a background of bush-clad ranges. Four fine rivers—the Marahau, Falls, Awaroa, and Awapoto —rise in the reserve, through which the three last-named flow for the greater part of their courses to the sea. The official opening of the park was performed by His Excellency the Governor-General on 19th December, 1942, in the presence of a representative gathering, including the members of the Netherlands delegation, who visited the Dominion for the Tasman Tercentennial Celebrations.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (501 copies), £3.

By Authority: E. Y. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 943.

Price -3a!.]

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Land District. Domain. Area added. A. R. P. North Auckland .. .. .. Tutamoe .. .. .. 10 0 6 ,, .. .. .. Opua .. .. .. .. 10 3 12 .. Konini .. .. . . .. 0 1 24 „ .. .. .. Mount Roskill .. .. .. 0 0 32 Auckland .. .. .. .. Whakatane .. .. .. 0 0 8-8 Kihikihi 0 2 38 ,, .. .. .. .. Ohope Beach .. .. .. 10 3 10-89 tt - u / 2 0 26-02 Hamilton \5 3 29-94 Wellington .. .. .. .. Nukumaru .. .. .. 4 3 28 • 6 „ .. .. .. .. Tokaanu .. . . .. 59 3 3 „ .. .. .. .. Otaki .. .. .. .. 0 1 10-93 Nelson .. .. .. .. Kaiteriteri .. .. .. I 1 30 Canterbury .. .. .. .. Upper Riccarton .. .. .. "f 2 0 34 ■ 2 Otago .. .. .. .. Fraser River .. .. .. 1 3 14 Total area added to fourteen domains .. .. .. 117 0 37-38