MURCHISON COAL FIELDS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25678, 15 December 1948, Page 6

MURCHISON COAL FIELDS

“NO EARLY INVESTIGATION POSSIBLE ” Although the Murchison coal fields will .eventually receive attention, no early i investigation of the extent oi the c'oal deposits in the district can be made. This information has been given by the Minister of Mines (Mr A. McLagan) to the Nelson-Marl-borough-West Coast League of Local Bodies. The Mines Department had the organisation to carry out the trenching and drilling work necessary to test the field, the Minister said, but at present it had large commitments in the Buller and Garvey Creek fields It had been hoped, the Minister added, that it might have been possible to extend operations to other fields, but, so far, it had been impossible to get the technical staff, such as mining engineers, surveyors, and drillers to lay out and. supervise such work. Not as much progress had been made as was desirable. In those circumstances he regretted that he could not promise an early investigation of the Murchison field, although eventually it would receive attention. For the present it was essential that staff and facilities available be concentrated on fields where access was already available and where surveys had shown the existence of extensive coal deposits. All reported occurrences of coal In the Murchison area had been the subject of preliminary investigation, concluded the Minister, and he would arrange for reports by parties which would accompany anyone who had personal knowledge of any so far uninvestigated worthwhile coal area in the Murchison district, or in any other district.