C.—6

1935. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. SCENERY-PRESERVATION. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1935, TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURE AND SCHEDULE OF LANDS ACQUIRED AND RESERVED DURING THE YEAR UNDER THE SCENERY PRESERVATION ACT.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 17 of the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908.

g IE Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, 26th August, 1935. I have the honour to submit herewith a report on scenery-preservation for the year ended 31st March, 1935. I have, &c., W. Robebtson, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Hon. Sir E. A. Ransom, Minister in Charge of Scenery-preservation, Wellington. REPORT. Proclamations issued during the year setting apart land as scenic or historic reserves under the Scenery Preservation Act covered an area of 2,027 acres. In the North Auckland Land District an arrangement was made with a Crown tenant whereby he surrendered an area of 57 acres of green bush of scenic value adjoining an existing scenic reserve near Broadwood and received a permanent lease over an area of 32 acres of the reserve in exchange. The 32 acres has no scenic value, and the exchange is in the best interests of the reserve. A further exchange was completed in this district during the year, resulting in the Crown obtaining an area of 106 acres of mixed-bush country on the Kaitaia-Kohukohu Road : In this case an area of 64 acres of Crown land was granted in exchange. , In 1933 the Waiotapu Scenic Reserve, Auckland Land District, was brought under the operation of the Tourist and Health Resorts Control Act, 1908, and the control of the reserve was vested in the Minister in Charge of Tourist and Health Resorts. A special inspection of the reserve and the surrounding country was made that year, when it was found that the reserve did not by any means contain the most important thermal features of the locality, and that an extension of its boundaries was most desirable. A survey was later carried out and the necessary reservations made to embrace the principal thermal features. The reservations included an area of 5 acres, being portion of the Echo or Blue Lake, which had been left as Crown land when the original scenic reserve was set apart; an area of 142 acres of Crown land to the south of the Champagne Pool containing lagoons, a sulphur spring, and a very remarkable and extensive terrace forming from the outlet of the Champagne Pool; and an area of 215 acres of Crown land lying to the north of the original reserve, and containing the Lady Knox Geyser, the Spout Bath, and other features. An area of approximately 27 acres of the Waiotapu Plantation lying between Hickey's Road and Weir's Road, and containing the Venus Bath and other thermal feature's of interest, was also dealt with, special legislation being provided in section 16 of the Reserves and other Lands Disposal Act, 1934, to change the status of this area from State forest to