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The areas set apart throughout the Dominion during the year may be roughly classified as follows : Class of Land. Area (Acres). Freehold land purchased by the Crown .. .. • • 457 Crown land areas .. •• •• •• «• 2 >l5B State forest land . . • ■ • • ■ • • • Crown leasehold areas made available in various ways .. 1,228 Education-endowment land .. .. • ■ • • 21 Quarry reserve .. •• •• • • •• " Total .. 3 > 902 The reservation over six areas totalling 166 acres was cancelled during the year. In most cases the areas dealt with were small pieces of open land. In one case, however, the reservation over the whole of a reserve of 100 acres was revoked by special legislation. The land so dealt with was the Katikati Hot Springs Scenic Reserve, which, by section 13 of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Act, 1948, was declared to be no longer a reserve under the Scenery Preservation Act, but to be instead portion of the Katikati Domain administered by a local Domain Board under the provisions of Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928. The hot springs on the reserve are very popular with local residents and visitors. Their development and control presented certain difficulties which it was considered could be better dealt with by a Domain Board than by a Scenic Reserves Board, and as some open land adjoining the reserve was being acquired as an addition to the Katikati Domain for development for camping purposes it was decided that the best interests of the scenic reserve would be served by adding it also to the Domain. This action will greatly simplify local administration, and will not endanger in any way the natural features of the reserve. The number of scenic reservations in the Dominion is now 1,250, covering a total area of 926,495 acres. AREAS ACQUIRED BUT NOT PROCLAIMED BY END OF YEAR Several purchases of land of scenic value were arranged during the year, but for various reasons it was not possible to have the requisite Proclamations published by the 31st March. In last year's report mention was made of a bush area of 360 acres at Okiwi Bay, in the Croixelles, given to the Crown by Mrs. Perrine Moncrieff, of Nelson. During the year under review an adjoining area of 510 acres of similar country was acquired by purchase, and this, together with the gift block and a small piece of Crown land which is being added to improve the boundaries, will result in an extensive addition to the scenic reserves in that locality. An interesting acquisition during the year was that of a block of 14 acres of bush.situated partly in the Birkenhead Borough and partly in Waitemata County. The situation is close to built-up areas in Birkenhead and the had been maintained by the previous owner for many years as a private reserve. Circumstances dictated the disposal of the block, when representations were made that it should be acquired as a permanent reserve. The Department was happy to be able to assist in its acquisition by providing some five-eighths of the purchase-money, the remainder being contributed by the local authorities of the district, by public subscriptions, and by the Institute of Horticulture and the Auckland Branch of the Forest and Bird Protection Society. This case affords a good example of practical co-operation in the acquisition of land for scenic purposes, and as the year closed steps were being taken to appoint a controlling Board as representative as possible of all those interested

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