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APPENDIX C. Report of the Scenery Preservation Board. During; the year ended the 31st March, 191.7, the following meetings of the Board were held: On Wednesday. 28th June, 1916, to deal with lands in the Canterbury District; on Wednesday, 16th August, 1916, to deal with lands in the Wellington District; and on Tuesday, 22nd August, 1916, to deal with lands in the Wellington District. These meetings were all field in the office of the Surveyor-General, Wellington. Eight recommendations were made by the Board regarding the acquisition of land for scenic reservation and submitted to His Excellency the Governor. The Hoard also considered and dealt with other eases in which they did not recommend the acquisition of land. The work of the Hoard has necessarily been circumscribed through war conditions, and the fact that such large areas of land have now been acquired and reserved under the Scenery Preservation Act has also limited to a considerable extent the scenic areas of the Dominion which have yet to be dealt with. Owing to the financial stringency at the present time no recommendations have been made to purchase land, save in one or two instances where the scenic beauty was in danger of early destruction. Every care is taken to conserve the funds of the Scenery Preservation Account compatible with the proper carrying-out of the duties entrusted to the Board. E. H. Wn.siOT, Chairman, Scenery Preservation Hoard. Report of Summit Road Scenic Reserves Board. The Board met seven times during the year —namely, 13th and 19th April, 24th July, 15th September, 30th October, 1916; and 22nd January and Bth March, 1917. 'fhe area under the control of the Board has increased during the year from 1,143 to 1,383 acres. Part of the land is leased, and brings in a sum of £90 per annum. The reserves to the north of Dyer's Pass, on the Summit Road—namely, Wych Hill, The Tors, Mount Cavendish (or Morten), Mount Pleasant, and Jollies Bush—are still unfenced, but, as no fires have occurred, the native vegetation is growing well. As to the reserves to the south of" Dyer's Pass, Coronation Hill is unfenced, but the vegetation is growing well. Kennedy's Bush Reserve, with which is now merged Hoon Hay Park Reserve, Mount Ada (or the " North Peak," as this hill was called by Kennedy), and Cass Peak, the whole reserve is well fenced on the north-west with a rabbit-proof fence. On the south side of the reserve, from Cass Peak Hush to the foot of Mount Ada, the Board has erected a good fence, using material saved from the several subdivision fences which traversed different parts of the land now included in the reserve; 33 chains of this fence is rabbit-proof, the wire netting being supplied by the late Mr. Cook. All the other reserves —namely, Almriri Bush, Parkinson's Bush, Herbert Park, Mount Fitzgerald, Mount Sinclair, and Reserve No. 3002 —are in good order. The house at Parkinson's Bush (in stone) is nearly complete, and has already been used by a walking party. It will be finished by the end of May, and, judging from the applications made, it will be much appreciated. A house (stone) is now being built on Coronation Hill Reserve (Dyer's Pass) for the use of touring parties along the Summit Road. The Canterbury Acclimatization Society presented the Board with five wekas, which have been liberated on Kennedy's. Bush Reserve. Bala/nce-sheet. Receipts. C s. d. i Expenditure. £ s. d. Balance ... .. .. .. 60 (i :i I Purchaso of land .. .. .. 400 0 0 Rents .. .. .. .. 92 8 4 Refund guarantees (bank) .. .. 150 0 0 Donations .. .. .. .. 35 0 0 Labour and supplies .. .. .. 182 10 9 Advance from Treasury .. .. .. 350 0 0 Interest and insurance .. .. .. 114 5 0 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 3 0 0 Miscellaneous .. '.. .. .. 54 10 6 Bank overdraft .. .. .. 361 5 8 £901 15 3 £901 15 3 W. H. Skinner, Chairman. Report of New Plymouth Scenic Reserves Board. During the year the Board held three ordinary meetings and one special meeting. The control of further scenic reserves were vested in the Board as follows : Pukerangiora Pa, 36 acres, being part Section 179, Huirangi District, Block IX, Waitara Survey District; Pukemiro Scenic Reserve, 7 acres 2 roods 18 perches, being part Section 7, Block 111, Waitara Survey District; Onairo River Scenic Reserve, two areas of 10 acres 30 perches and 3 acres 26 perches, being respectively part Section 102 and part Section 101, Block VII, Waitara Survey District. The " Meeting of the Waters " Scenic Reserve, comprising 61 acres 2 roods 30 perches, situated five miles from the New Plymouth Borough at the junction of the Mangorei and Waiwakaiho Rivers, is also to be placed under the Board's control. The Hoard will then have under its control six scenic reserves aggregating 178 acres. Action as follows with respect, to the reserves named has been completed during the year : — Puketi Pa : Leased for five years to the New Plymouth Borough Council at a peppercorn rental of Is. per annum, with improvement conditions, under section 9 of the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908.

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