Tauranga As Timber Port

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

Tauranga As Timber Port

Advantage Of Lower Freight Rates

Economy Of Railway Operation

"Pre-war world timber usage amounted to 80,000,000,000 feet a year of which only 14,000,000,000 found its way into international trade," stated Mr E. B. Brown, General Manager of Whakatane Board Mills Ltd. when giving evidence in a civi; action in Hamilton recently. "With the accumulation from the war years, there is ample world market ior all the timber New Zealand can produce (competitively) for export," he added.

Witness stated that State Forest Service immediate plans had been officially quoted at 140 million feet savn for export cf which 100 million board feet sawn per annum was expected to be achieved within 10 years. Likewise the plans for pulp and paper mills at Murupara envisaged the production of 70,000 tons of pulp and paper as a commencement and up to 90,000 tons additiona ly annually as and when markets became available. Obviously the -whole of thi's pulp and paper tonnage and a very substantial portion of the proposed 140 million sawn feet of timber would be from the Kaingaroa area, transported by rail to Tauranga or Auckland. In view of the need to be competitive with world prices, the lower freight rates applicable to the shorter haul from Murupara to Tauranga (as compared to Muru-para-Auckland) would dictate shipment from the former port if facilities were available. Shipment Through Tauranga Current railway tariff rates, per ton weight, for woodpulp and paper were as follows: — Paper WoodPulp Edgeeumbe-Tauranga - 23/5 19/5 Edgecumbe-Auckland ..54/3 39/1 Murupara-Tauranga .... 35/2 25/6 Murupara-Auckland .... 58/9 43/2 Saving by shipment 23/7 17/8 through Tauranga— to to per ton weight 30/10 19/8 Two trial shipments of New Zealand grown softwood for export to Australia had already been made by the vessel James Cook. On each occasion the rate of loading was shown to be faster than at Auckland—l,3oo,ooo feet Of sawn timber being .loaded in five working days on the first occasion and approximately the came rate was reported on the second occasion.

With the provision of adequate modern timber handling equipment this rate could, and obvi'ousiy would have to be improved upon to encompass the handling of 1,500,000 led sawn per working day. It should be noted, added witness, that freight rates either coastal or overseas were identical irrespective Of whether Tauranga or Auckland WrT= the port of shipment. The ppvl'ngs in rail freight to the port, therefore, remained the predomi-

nant factor. The possib'lity of sawri lumber or

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