NEW LANDING WANTED

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 228, 24 September 1918, Page 5

NEW LANDING WANTED

FOB OH. AND COAL. A SCHEME SUGGESTED. At a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board this afternoon, the chairman (Mr. 11. D. Heather) submitted a proposal to erect a new landing at the end oi tho Freeman's Bay reclamation, alongside the eastern face of the tide deflector. Thie landing, ilr. Heather stated, would eventually .be part of the proposed wharf shown on the scheme of harbour improvements, but all he suggested now was the erection of a. landing GOO fret long by GO feet wide, to be used by vessels discharging case oil, coal and timber. It had long been recognised that such, a landing was very urgently required, and it had been referred to in the estimates for the last three yeare. The attention of the Board had on several occasions been drawn to the danger to the city from vessels discharging oil at the principal -wharves, and complaints had been received of the danger from the carting of benzine, eta., through the heart of the city to the oil warehouses. By the adoption of this proposal thia danger Tvould be eliminated. With regard to coal for tho Auckland Has Company, there were, roughly, 70,000 tons per annum carted through the city. The close proximity of this new landing to tho. gasworks would mean a considerable saving in wear and tear on our city streets, as well as being a considerable ibone.Bt to the Gas Company. The same remarks apply to shipments of timber, which would be landed practically at the doors of the various nulls. Roughly the estimate for the -work was .£40,000 to £50,000, and this expenditure could be met without borrowing , . There was a credit balance of more than that amount on hand, and as the greater proportion of that credit was capital ac- . count—money received for Rale of property and plant—it could rightly be used for this work. Reports from both the harbourmaster and traffic manager eulogised the (proposal, and urged the immediate prosecution of the work. The adoption of the proposal would mean that dredging operations could he started immediately, the spoil being used for completing the reclamation to the '■ eastward of tho city electric power sta- | tion. This land .should then be I available for leasing early in the coming year, and from inquiries received it would not be long vacant. Tile adoption of the proposal wonld also mean the reopening, of the Eangitotol quarries.