OAMARU BREAKWATER

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 170, 20 July 1934, Page 3

OAMARU BREAKWATER

EXTENSION TO COST £37,100. DECISION TO PROCEED. (By Telegraph.—l'ress Association.) OAMAKU, Thursday. The Oamaru Harbour Board at a special meeting to-day decided with one dissentient to proceed with an extension of the existing breakwater at an estimated cost of £37,100. The extension is to afford protection for the dredging of the channel, allowing of a greater depth of water by 2ft than at present, and permitting an i...Tease in the draught of vessels working the port from 19ft Gin to 21ft (Jin. Over many years the board has built up a fund out of revenue for harbour improvements such as the scheme now proposed. The fund stands to-day at £33,000, which, with other funds, brings the total to £40,000 at the disposal of the board to carry out the scheme. Breakwater extensions have been previously reported on by engineers. Today Mr. G. A. Lee, of Auckland, consuiting engineer to the board, submitted two proposals, one for a 1000 ft extension, estimated to cost £6G,000, and the second for a 500 ft extension estimated to cost £37,100. The smaller scheme was adopted by the board in the meantime as the additional 500 ft extension could be proceeded with in the future when more funds are available, the ultimate object being to increase the depth of the channel to permit the working of vessels with a draught of 23ft Gin.

A trial «liot in the board's quarry near the breakwater recently disclosed a large proportion of large suitable stone for the work and the strengthening of the present breakwater, this permitting the board to embark on the undertaking. The decision of the board will not become effective until definite arrangements with the Unemployment Board for a subsidy on the wages of the workmen have been made and the approval of the Marine Department is obtained. It is proposed to name the extension Ramsay Extension in compliment to the memory of the late Captain Ramsay, a former harbourmaster at Oamaru, who urged the necessity of extending the breakwater 20 years ago.