C.—6

1917. NEW ZEALAN I).

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. SCENERY-PRESERVATION. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1917. TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS AND SCHEDULE OF LANDS ACQUIRED AND RESERVED DURING THE YEAR UNDER THE SCENERY PRESERVATION ACT.

Presented /<> both House* of the General Assembly pwrs'ua/it to Section I? of the Scenery ['reservation Act, 1908,.

Sib, — Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist June, 1917. I have the honour to submit herewith report on scenery-preservation for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1917. 1 have, &c, T. N. Beodbiok, The Right Eon. W. V. Massey, !'.('., Under-Secretary for Lands. Minister in Charge of Scenery-preservation,

EEPOET. The operations under the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908, have naturally been considerably lessened owing bo war conditions, as the acquisition of lands for scenic purposes is not of such paramount importance as matters connected with the ptoseeution of the war. Moreover, the reservation of land since 1903, when the Scenery Preservation Act was first passed, has already in a large measure dealt with the principal scenic lands of the Dominion, and on this account alone there is not the same necessity for action that existed fourteen years ago. Every care is, however, taken that no area of exceptional beauty is allowed to be destroyed, and when a suitable opportunity offers reservations of Crown land are made and private or Native land purchased for subsequent reservation. Reservations. During the year a large area of land on the slopes of the Ngongotaha Mountain overlooking Rotorua was acquired and set apart under the Act. Seeing that the mountain is one of the sights around Rotorua, it is very gratifying to know that the greater part of its beauty has now been permanently reserved, and future visitors to the locality will appreciate such action. In the Taranaki District a number of small areas of Crown lands, most of which had been previously reserved under the Land Act, were brought under the provisions of the SceneryPreservation Act. On the Wanganui River three areas of Native land have been acquired and proclaimed, and in the Wellington District two further areas on the river have also been secured. Some small areas in the vicinity of Raetihi, formerly reserved under the Land Act, were also proclaimed, whilst a memento of the days of the Maori War, in the shape of the blockhouse which was erected at that time at the [Ipper Hutt, was set apart under the Act. In the Canterbury District four areas between Christehurch and Akaroa were reserved. The total area of land set apart during the twelve months amounted to a little over 2,084 acres, which, added to the areas reserved in previous years, and deducting 96 acres of revocations during the year, left a grand total of 481 reserves, aggregating 283,815 acres.