The Short Title of this Act is “The Kumara Education Reserve Act, 1879,” and it shall come into operation on such day as the Governor in Council shall appoint.

From and after the date aforesaid all laws relating to gold fields and to Wardens’ Courts shall operate within the lands described in the Schedule hereto, generally known as the Kumara Education Reserve, as if the same had never been reserved or granted; and every holder of a miner’s right or business license may exercise the same respectively over the aforesaid lands, subject to the provisions of this Act, and of “The Mines Act, 1877,” and of any regulations made thereunder.

Saving and excepting as herein provided, nothing in this Act contained shall affect the title of the School Commissioners of the Westland Education District to the aforesaid reserve, or shall authorize the sale of any portion of such reserve.

Nothing in this Act contained shall affect any leases, contracts, licenses, or agreements lawfully made and existing at the time of the coming into operation of this Act, otherwise than as provided in section seven herein.

The School Commissioners aforesaid, and some person to be appointed in that behalf by the Minister of Lands, shall appoint a scale of fees to be charged in respect, of the occupation for mining or other purposes of any portion of the said lands; and all moneys arising from such occupation shall be paid to the School Commissioners aforesaid. If no such scale of fees be made to the satisfaction of the Minister aforesaid within a time to be limited by him in that respect, the said Minister may appoint some other person forthwith to fix such fees.

It shall be lawful for the Governor in Council, under regulations to be made in that behalf, notwithstanding anything contained in any Act relating to mining, from time to time to grant to any occupant of land under business license in the said education reserve, who has improved such land to the satisfaction of the Warden of the district, a lease for any term not exceeding twenty-one years of the surface of such land, at such rates of payment for rent, and under such restrictions as to the use thereof, as he may think necessary, and such lease shall entitle the holder thereof to all the rights and privileges now enjoyed by holders of business licenses issued under any Act relating to mining.

At any time during the currency or at the termination of any lease heretofore granted or hereafter to be granted, the Governor may, with the consent of the School Commissioners aforesaid, cause the whole or any portion of the said land to be sold by public auction, subject to valuation for improvements, as provided for in sections forty-three and forty-seven of “The Mines Act, 1877.”

All proceeds of any such sale shall be paid to the said Commissioners, and, after the payment of all liabilities incurred prior to the passing of this Act, shall be applied by them in the purchase of other lands to be held by them for the same purposes as the land which is sold was held.

The Governor, with the concurrence of the aforesaid School Commissioners, may at any time exchange the lands described in the Schedule hereto, or any part thereof, for other Crown lands of equal value or extent’ within the Land District of Westland, and may grant the same for the like purposes as the land in the said Schedule is now held.