HARBOUR BOARD'S YEAR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 20, 5 June 1939, Page 6

HARBOUR BOARD'S YEAR

REVIEW BY CHAIRMAN SHOALING OF CHANNEL The year's work o! the Whakatune Harbour Board was comprehensiv el\ reviewed by the retiring chairman, .Mr W. J. Sumner, when he. report."! to the annual meeting of the board ; held in the County Chambers on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the year, said iNIr Sumner, serious erosion had developed on. the sandhills, but litis had ceased and the sandhills were now higher than formerly. Trees had been planted and the plan, tation fenced off. A garage had been added to the harbourmaster's residence. The board were pleased with the attention given to the launch which was running as well to-day as when Captain Carey took charge. The launch would bri put on the slip and the tail shaft inspected in, a few days. An area four and a half chains by two and a half chains had been ic claimed on Commerce Street. The quarry was now practically free of spoil, and the quality of the stone was equal to that from Whale Island. GROYNES Two groynes had ben made at a cost of fis 6d a cubic yard. The groynes had been finished and Mr S"m_ mens' contract in regard to the upper river was almost completed. They had spent something li>e £2000 on the groynes but it was an insurance in making the river safe and keeping it in its present channel. Secondly it was of great benefit to the paper mills by improving navigation . Coming to Whakatane itself they had taken steps at the. borough's rei quest to provide an area for a rub. hish dump, a condition being that any empty tanks placed in the di:m ; i be crushed or filled and that, spod be spread. THE HEADS The borough had been granted lease for 50 years of section 70 at !hc Heads in connection with the Centennial park, the board reserving a width of about 15 leet for any necessary groyne work. At the wharf the borough had raised the road level and the board placed other metal on it at a cost of about 5s 6d a yard. Coming to the channel he said they had experimented at the wharf with a hose connected to a pump. For H) feet it had increased the depth by two to three feet.. CHANNEL SHOALING They had had a little difficulty near Flat Rock owing to the bend shallowing and the edge of the shoal coming about 25 feet from the rock. Steps had been taken to eradicate the trouble. They had attempt, ed to obtain a pump and do the same in the channel as at the wharf. 31 Brebner had not been successful ii obtaining a pump. They had intend, ed to use a set of disc harrows U break up the shoal, but on thn this was to be done the weather*broki Before the ruin the channel had bcci three to six feet deep and about feet wide. Tt was now from sever to nine feet deep and about 50 feci wide. VESSELS COULD HAVE; GOT IN Mr Brebner and Captain Care, were of the opinion that vessels eouli have got in on the slack water, bui they were used to getting in two ei three hours before hisili water an' thought they could continue to do so The straightening of the groyne ai the Flat Rock would do away witl swirl. That was q matter for thr board. Concerning tho office work thev had made an improvement bv bring ing a large part of the work of thi wharf to the office. Mr McKenzic had replaced Mr Parkinson. BOROUGH AID Referring .to the Centennial Park Mr Sumner said they had made at 1 irrangement with the borough tt] •lea'- and burn the logs on their pro perty. The work now done gave a different appearance to the area. Th beacons were now on hoard the pio oertv and not liable to be removed. He hoped by co-operation with tlv borough and county to have the aver made into a park by 1910. He h:V '» «m>roa''hed by the borough ami asked to assist them by giving spoil for filling. He had given consent. He expressed regret at the loss of the wharfinger Mr Parkinson, and als' the concern they felt over the sickness of Mr Ward, who was at present in hospital. The sta.ff had given everv assistance and he also thanked the boart' members for their interest and co operation.