63Letting of highways not presently used

63 Letting of highways not presently used

(1)  Where the corporation has acquired highway rights over any land, it may, if the land is not presently required to be opened as a highway, let that land to the owner of any adjoining land.

(2)  Where any land in a city or town forming the site of a highway is not immediately required for use as a highway –

(a) the Minister for Crown Lands may, if that land is Crown land, do either or both of the following things:

(i) grant leases of that land under the Crown Lands Act 1976 ;

(ii) issue licences under that Act authorizing the use of that land for the purposes respectively specified in those licences; or

(b) the corporation may, if that land is not Crown land, take possession of that land and do either or both of the following things:

(i) grant leases of that land;

(ii) issue licences authorizing the use of that land for the purposes respectively specified in those licences.

(3)  Before granting a lease or issuing a licence as provided in subsection (2) (a) , the Minister for Crown Lands shall cause a notice to be published in a local newspaper circulating in the locality in which the relevant highway is situated stating his intention to grant the lease or to issue the licence and appointing a day, at least 14 days after the date of the publication of the notice, on or before which written representations will be received by that Minister.

(4)  Before granting a lease or issuing a licence under subsection (2) (b) , the corporation shall cause a notice to be published in a local newspaper circulating in the locality in which the relevant highway is situated stating its intention to grant the lease or issue the licence and appointing a day, at least 14 days after the date of the publication of the notice, on or before which written representations will be received by the corporation.

(5)  A lease under subsection (2) (b) shall –