c.—io.

1936. 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, 31st August, 1936. Sir,— 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, 1936. I have, &c., W. Robertson, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Hon. Prank Langstone, Minister of Lands.

REPORT.

PART I.—PUBLIC DOMAINS. At the 31st March, 1936, the total number of public domains administered under the provisions of Part II of the Public Reserves, Domains, and National Parks Act, 1928, was 775, covering a total area of 75,380 acres. Forty-six of these domains are controlled by the various Commissioners of Crown Lands, 273 are controlled by local authorities acting as Domain Boards, while the remaining 456 are under the control of local Boards appointed from time to time. During the year ten new domains, with a total area of some 225 acres, were reserved and brought under Part II of the Act, and arrangements made for their control. Additions totalling 150 acres were also made to twenty-two existing domains. One of the additions was that of an area of 2 acres 1 rood 30 perches situated at Putiki Bay, Waiheke Island. This area adjoins an existing portion of the Waiheke Domain, and also two areas of tidal land which it is hoped later on to reclaim and bring in as further additions to the domain. The AVaiheke Domain Board (the Ostend Road Board) arranged for the transfer to the Crown of the first-mentioned area in order that it could be reserved for recreation and brought under the Act. Another was that of two areas of 1 acre 0 roods 28-2 perches and 1 acre 2 roods 28-7 perches situated at Pakaraka and Westmere respectively. They have been added to the Nukumaru Domain, and were donated