BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, AUG 23,. 1950 THE HARBOUR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 86, 23 August 1950, Page 4

BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, AUG 23,. 1950 THE HARBOUR

The announcement that a Commission has been set up to decide on a site for a Bay of Plenty deep-water harbour marks a further step in progress towards the building of this important and necessary amenity. Whakatane and Tauranga will have the opportunity to put forward their views and the Commission will have the by-no-means easy task of deciding where the port will be. Whatever that decision is, it will be criticised in one quarter or another. In some official circles, Tauranga is favoured because it is believed to provide an outlet for the Waikato. A contrary opinion, however, is that Whakatane could be just as suitable in that respect. Further, a large part of the purpose in setting up a new port is to give an outlet for products of Murupara and the cost factor if nothing else favours Whakatane in that respect. Whakatane is centrally situated to deal with the produce of the whole Bay and its back country, north, south and west. The cost of constructing a port here, estimated at £1,000,000 or less, would be small in proportion to the benefit in store for a large and highly-produc-tive area. ■ That cost would include simple matter of extending the railway and. the perhaps less simple one of diverting the river. Figures of comparison between the goods handled b' T Tauranga and Whakatane ports already greatly favour the latter. Certain it is that the building of a deep-water port here would be of immense benefit to the town. We believe that it would be of similar benefit to all Bay of Plenty and its back country.