a—6.

Session 11. 1906. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS: SCENERY PRESERVATION. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1906; TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS AND SCHEDULES OF ALL LANDS ACQUIRED AND RESERVED UNDER "THE SCENERY PRESERVATION ACT, 1903."

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Sections 4 and 10 of "The Scenery Preservation Act, 1903."

Department of Lands, Sir,— Wellington, 23rd June, 1906. I have the honour to submit herewith report on scenery-preservation for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1906. I have, &c, William C. Kensington, The Hon. T. Y. Duncan, Minister of Lands. Under-Secretary for Lands.

SCENERY PRESERVATION. Report of Lands acquired, Reserves made, and Proclamations issued, together with a Statement of Accounts, etc., for the Yeae ended the 31st March, 1906. The following schedules and particulars give in tabular form the exact position of the various scenic areas inspected and reported on by the Scenery Preservation Commission, and the steps taken in connection therewith: — Schedule A. —The lands acquired under the provisions of " The Scenery Preservation Act, 1903." Schedule B.—The lands proclaimed as acquired, but payment for which has not yet been made. Schedule C. —The lands gazetted and set apart as reserves under the Act. Statement of accounts showing the total expenditure and the purposes to which applied. Schedule D. —List of recommendations, showing the areas recommended for acquisition and reservation, and action taken thereon. From a perusal of the foregoing it will be seen that since the appointment of the Scenery Preservation Commission in March, 1904, up to the 31st March last, an area of 14,565 acres 2 roods 3 perches has been reserved under the Act, and the total expenditure has. been £7,175 Is 3d., of which the expenses of the Commission amounted to £3,043 3s. 4d. ; compensation for land taken included £3,552 6s. Id. : and the balance of £579 11s. 10d. went in payment of.omiscellaneous expenses such as surveys, valuations, advertising, legal and travelling expenses. In addition to the above area of reservations actually effected, the Commissioners have submitted proposals for the acquisition and reservation of some 350,000 acres, details of which will be found in Schedule D. Many of the areas recommended are now in course of acquisition: in some cases the forest on the lands has been so destroyed that reservation is no longer

I—C. 6.