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1940. 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, Ist August, 1940. Sib, —• I have the honour to submit herewith a report on the public domains and national parks of the Dominion for the year ended 31st March, 1940. I have, &c., R. G. Macmorran, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Hon. Frank Langstone, Minister of Lands.

REPORT.

PART I.—PUBLIC DOMAINS. At the 31st March, 1940, the total number of public domains administered under the provisions of Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928, was 788, covering a total area of some 76,900 acres. Fifty-four of these domains are controlled by the various Commissioners of Crown Lands, 273 are controlled by local authorities acting as Domain Boards, and the remaining 461 are controlled by local Boards appointed from time to time. During the year thirteen new domains, with a total area of 96 acres, were reserved and brought under Part II of the Act, and arrangements made for their control. Additions totalling 371 acres were also made to twenty-one existing domains. The new domains comprised the following : — (1) An area of 2 acres at Ngataki, North Auckland. Here the residents by their own efforts levelled a small piece of unoccupied land and constructed two tennis-courts for public use. The Department then surveyed and reserved the area, which has been placed under the control of a Board of local people. (2) An area of 5 acres 2 roods in the Mangatete Farm Settlement, North Auckland. The Department was encouraged to constitute this area as a domain by the keen interest shown by local settlors in the matter of forming a recreation-ground for the district. (3) An area of 10 acres near Kaeo, now known as the Waikoura Domain. The land was portion of the Waikoura Reclamation Area, and the reservation was arranged at the request of the Whangaroa County Council, which has accepted the responsibility of controlling the new domain. (4) Two small areas of 1 acre 3 roods and 1 rood 26-3 perches at Rothesay Bay, on the Hauraki Gulf between Brown's Bay and Murray's Bay. These areas had become vested in the Crown as recreation reserves on the subdivision of private land for residential purposes, and were made a public domain on the application of the Waitemata County Council. (5) An area of 10 acres 1 rood at Orakei lying between Paritai Drive and the Waterfront Road. This area has considerable possibilities for development as an ornamental park, and was marked for reservation at the time the first residential subdivisions were laid off in Orakei. It has been placed under the control of the Auckland City Council.

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