TAURANGA MUST ACHIEVE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14928, 16 March 1949, Page 3

TAURANGA MUST ACHIEVE

TOPICAL OUTLET THROUGH WHICH FOREST h " PRODUCE MUST PASS

POTENTIAL INCREASE IN VALUES FORESEEN BY COMPANY MANAGER

SUBSTANTIAL EXPANSION IN SHOPPING k FACILITIES AND OTHER AMENITIES

The conclusion that Tauranga must achieve prominence 1 v virture of its being', and being accepted as the logical port or utlet through wlncn the forest produce of the Kaingaroa ° l !ri Rauffitami exotic forests must pass, was reached by the General Manager of Whakatane Board Mills Ltd. (Mr E. B. Brown) when giving evidence in a civil action in Hamilton recently on the potential value of Tauranga property. In the process, he stated, Tauranga's population must increase to provide the labour required to provide the substantially extended services it would be called upon to render as a big export port. In turn there must follow a substantial expansion in '•hopping facilities and the other amenities required cf a growing district. Greater or expanded spending power must tend to increase returns both gross and nett of existing businesses and premises with consequential increases in their basic values. This potential increase in values, he added, had existed ever since large tracts of quick growing exotic timbers were first established in the Kamgaroa-Kangitaiki Valley districts.

Whakatane Board Mills Ltd., vvu n e«s stated in his evidence operated SoodouJp and cardboard mill at feXS/and through Us sutodi-n-ps was the owner ol 14,000 juo* of exolic forest located 2o miles irom Whakatane .n the watershed of. the Wandlaiki River which flowed into Sy of Plenty at The rnton The ~ k ni this 14,000 acres was planted igthewinters of. 1933 1934 and ?935 in pinus ins/gnis. the growth of which in the intervening J 4 J vears (average) had been so satieLtorv that there was today some 57,000,000 cubic feet of standing timber on the area. The annual growth on this area amounted to over 50 million super fppt (leg measure) per year, and in tlanning for the most economic utilisation of such a substantial ouantity of timber each year, it had .been witness's responsibility to con • sider the possibilities of shipping t.hc timber through nearby ports in The Bay of Plenty. The company was already utilising approximately 12 million super feet log measure m the production of 15,000 tons of cardboard annually and was about to expand into sawmdhng, setting U million feet sawn per annum as us target. When such results were achieved the company would be utilising approximately 3fi million super feet log measure (of trie 50 million growing annually). Saving: In Freight A saving in freight or transport charges of even Id per 100 iect on 36 million feet amounted to no less than £ISOO. Consequently the growth oi the movement towards the establishment of Tauranga as an export shipping port had been most closely followed. Witness stated that hi;3 considered opinion that Tauranga was bound to become the main timber port for the North Is and and had been destined to fill such a role ever since a substantial afforestation programme was embarked upon by the New Zealand State Forest Service and private enterprise, was- based upon a number of premises. At least 300,000 acres of the growing exotic timber located within a 70 mile radius of Rotorua was established on country, the natural fall of which was to the Rangi'taiki River Valley. It was a very true adege in the timber industry that it did not pay to haul timber uphill. Although such timber ranged in p.ge from around 35 years downward, the planting was not evenly spread throughout the years, very substantial areas being established between 1926 and 1933, The timber on these areas would mature within the next rive to 10 years when it would require utilisatic n by sawing -or otherwise.

.andled through North Island ports. Auckland, the present outlet, was already congested and any additional tennage would substantially aggravate the position. Timber and ptup exports—having their origin ;ii ihp r'uiaruru Atiamuri area—and forced to use Auckland through lack of direct or reasonably short access to Tauranga, would undoubtedly be on a precarious footing and continuity and regularity of shipment would under current conditions be impossible. Witness stated that an alternative port woiMl be essential to such new tonnage and located as it was, Tauranga was the obvious choice.

From a railways operating angle the provision of port facilities at Tauranga offered many material advantages, not the least of which was the saving in waggons required to carry the new tonnage offering, and the opportunity for such to be revenue producing continuously rather than intermittently as was the case with longer haul to Auckland and the delays in unloading which occurred there, concluded witness.

The programme of reafforestation envisaged the replanting of cut-over areas thus ensuring continuity of aval'lablity of forest produce in perpetuity.

Apart i'rom a local market calling for shipping facilities/a substantial expert market existed today for timber and woodpulp products. Except for recent trial shipments of timber exported to Australia, the Ppn of Auckland had to date provided the only possible opportunities for shipment of forest produce to South Island or overseas ports. Auckland, was 226 mi es from Edgecumbs or approximately 266 miles from Murupara which was named as the terminal of the proPosed new railway link. Tauranga was 48 miles from Edgecumbe or 90 miles from Murupara. Of the three ports in the Bay of Plenty— Opotiki, Whakatane and fauranga—the latter alone presented the opportunity for the HHties required for export snipping. Opotiki was not connected by ra il with the National railway system, and even if it was so conned, it could not afford deep water taciJities nor regularity cf working. Whakatane was a river mouth port Wh a rock bar at, the entrance on which available depth of water ranged from three feet (nly at low wate r to nine and a _ half feet Bt "»gh water. Although this port a * present handled more tonnage rmi n ? lther of the othef two. it was "J 1 ? by small, speciallv designed ■rial ow draught scows and even so jveatner foncU' ions cn-ipled with the °ar mad* regular daily working '^possible.

Deeu Water At Tauranga JJ* the other hand Tauranga Wa? y posses *ed I'easonablv risen r| JT berthage, which it was tafcrt. could be improved en to wS, 3 ships and - a s a port, was Si •« in a ' ] weathers. Adequate jwee tor accumulation and handling l could also be provided. *a Tent r£?il fresh's on timber f "iiow se l. oul in the railwa y tariff as f$ miles (Edgecumbe-Auckland) J* per 100 ft. aioer; 266 miles |p ru Para-Auckland) 8< 7d per 100 Ta,, SUper i 48 mile s (EdgecumbeajfiW.4s per 10 ° [L su^er; 90 pSlJMurupara-Tauranga) 5s 8d ay£ ft su Perd«cS 0l L gh these rates " /e,e re " SJ e by 20 l> er cent, if timber to T n ? r export " th e freight rate from £?£* even the « raJl ? ed leaner d,o3s 2d P er Jo ° teet ■inppwV" a i mo| t important asnect Co,n petiti n export a S ainst world Hkelv S /i b u antial Nonage which was additional ♦ availa ble was new or °u tonnage to that at present