D.—l.

The following buildings are in course of erection : Ten residences for airmen, all of which are nearing completion ; thirteen residences for Non-commissioned Officers ; seven residences for officers ; administration and headquarters building ; main store ; small oil-store ; guard-house, water-tower and standby set house ; sergeants' mess and quarters ; ration store ; sick quarters and instructional building ; while construction proposals are nearing completion for the officers' mess and quarters, lubricant and inflammable store, extensions to the workshop block, and for several other buildings. Proposals are receiving consideration for alterations and extensions to electrical-power reticulation water-supply, sewerage, and roading for the whole station. Civil Aerodromes and Landing-grounds. Whangarei - North Auckland District.—Engineering surveys and investigations have been carried out at the following sites : Waipapakauri, Kerikeri, Dargaville, Whangarei, Kaikohe, and Waipu. Construction work has been undertaken as follows :— Waipapakauri: Contract work is 50-per-cent. completed on levelling work over a 35-acre extension and on 22 acres of the original flying-field. Stumping, ring drainage, and subsoil drainage are being undertaken by the Department. Kerikeri: Clearing has been completed, and ploughing and levelling is in hand by the Department over 45 acres. A contract has been let for the heavier excavation on the landing-strips, and work has been commenced. Rawene : A limited area of tidal flat is being reclaimed by stop-banking, utilizing unemployed Native labour. The work is now approximately 40 per cent, completed. Whangarei: Proposals are completed for the formation and levelling of the field in the coming spring. Road-deviations required to release the site have been commenced, and to date 47 chains of formation have been completed. Clearing of the aerodrome-site has been commenced utilizing unemployed labour. Auckland District.—Development-work has been in hand as follows : — Great Barrier Island (Kaitoke) : This aerodrome has been levelled, surfaced with soil, grassed, top-dressed, and rolled during the current year, and is now available as an emergency-landing ground. Levelling operations entailed shifting by tractors and scoops, 68,406 cubic yards of sand. 22,367 cubic yards of soil were carted and spread to form a surface for the sowing of grass-seed. The total area levelled and sown is 50 acres. To stop sand-drift 180 chains of brush fences were erected and 10 acres of kikuya and 30 acres of marram-grass planted. 120 chains of boundary fence were erected, and 25 chains of access road constructed. Drains completed total 40 chains 10 ft. wide, 6 chains 3 ft., and 70 chains 2 ft. Two windsocks have been erected. Mangere : Enlarging and regrading has been carried out over a further 14 acres, making a total area of 97 acres, and the whole field has now been completed. During the year the work involved excavating 3,554 cubic yards, and making the total to date 180,554 cubic yards ; 24 acres have been returfed and 14 acres sown in grass, making totals of 77 acres of returfing and 20 acres of grassing to date ; tile and scoria subsoil drainage involved the placing of 22,800 ft. of 4 in. to 15 in. pipe tiles and 1,733 cubic yards of scoria ; the construction in concrete of boundary and limit markers, circle and name, and the erection of a radio-transmitting station has been completed. The aerodrome was handed over to the Auckland Aero Club for maintenance purposes in April of this year. Ngaruawahia Emergency-landing ground : This field has been maintained as a Government emergency-landing field. Thames : During the year 368 chains of subsoil tile drains were laid with 4 in. to 6 in. tiles, and refilled to surface with shell. A further scheme is in hand on part of the aerodrome to supplement the system by laying new drains, and of this, some 30 chains have been completed. Repairs were effected to the stop-banks and ring drains constructed last year and damaged by flooding. Waikato Airport: An obstructing transmission line has been removed and attention given to obstructing trees. Tauranga - Bay of Plenty District.—Engineering surveys and investigations have been carried out at Rotorua, Whakatane, and Tauranga. Possible sites were investigated at Te Puke and Te Kaha. Development-work is in hand as follows : —- Atiamuri (Emergency-landing Ground) : Levelling has been partially completed, but is now suspended until next summer. Galatea (Emergency-landing Ground) : Surface improvements have been effected and the field has been maintained as a Government ground. Tauranga : An area of 54 acres has been levelled, smoothed off, and sown in grass. 65,000 cubic yards of material were shifted and 50 chains of open drain excavated. 62 chains of road and a wharf were provided to give access. All work on the initial scheme has been completed. An adjacent area is being cleared and stumped to permit of extensions next summer. Opotiki: 109 acres have been levelled, smoothed off, and sown in grass, involving the handling of 33,000 cubic yards of material. A comprehensive subsoil drainage system was installed, requiring the placing of 49,000 ft. of tiled and shingle drains. Stop-banks, and drain outfalls were provided to prevent flooding. All work is now completed. Rotorua : The initial development has been completed over 110 acres. Work during the year consisted mainly of top-dressing the surface with loam and manures. The field has not been opened to traffic in order to allow for consolidation. Proposals are being considered for additional extensions. Taupo : The whole field has been treated with manures and grass-seed. An access road from Taupo Township is under construction.

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