PORT AND RAIL FACILITIES

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27988, 7 June 1956, Page 15

PORT AND RAIL FACILITIES

PROVISION FOR MORE EXPORTS .REPORT TO LYTTELTON BOARD Whether estimates of the increase in primary production were optimistic or, not, it appeared that there wpuld be an increase in the next 10. 20 and 30 years, and producer boards had reason to be concerned at existing port and rail facilities, said the secre-tary-manager (Mr A. L. Burk) reporting to the Lyttelton Harbour Board yesterday. “Any hold-up in the distcharge of cargo through inadequate facilities at Lyttelton or any other port, means a corresponding delay in loading, whether at this or ariy other overseas port, and has an adverse effect on our national economy,” said Mr Burk. His report was a result of the Government’s decision, made at the request of the Meat Producers’ Board, to appoint a sub-committee of the Cabinet to report on- the adequacy of port and railway facilities to handle an increasing amount of export produce.

“The whole fault cannot;, of course, be attributed to" port authorities, as many of the ancillary services must proceed with port improvements if any worth-while results are to be achieved,” Mr Burk stated. Shipowners’ Report

He produced a statement on port capacity to be submitted- to » the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) by the Overseas Shipowners’ Allotment Committee. and said that, apart from observations on dredging methods in the main channel, no great exception could be taken to the review of Lyttelton facilities. “The Meat Board has, referred to the existing shortage of insulated rolling stock.” said the shipowners’ statement. “This is having a serious restrictive effect in the North Island, as well as in the South Island. The fact that the Railways Department has a building programme for insulated waggons has not been overlooked, but it is submitted that the programme will do little more than take care of rolling stock under repair and written off, and will not contribute in any measure to meeting the increased export programme envisaged by the Director-General of Agriculture. “It is felt that favourable consideration should be given to the introduction of refrigerated road services to be run in conjunction with the railway services.” The statement also referred to frequent and serious shortages of ordin-

ary waggons for the receipt and carnage of inward cargo, particularly at South Island ports. Additional shunting facilities and ■ larger marshalling yards were required at all ports, said the statement. 1 and the shipowners hoped that the ■ Railways Department programme for ' additional diesel shunting engines , would be further extended to meet increasing demand. In the South Island, the Lyttelton. , Nelson and Timaru Harbour Boards had major development plans, and the shipowners submitted that they should be encouraged and assisted in every possible way by the Govern-

ment. Import Licences The Government was recommended to consider allowing import licences to be issued for one year from the date of issue. The statement said that would help to ease the shipping congestion which rose because all 3. licences expired on December 31. r The shipowners submitted that an t independent report by a firm of is consulting engineers of world-wide is repute would be of great value, e , From the shipowners’ detailed ex1. amination of ports, Mr Burk quoted n the following extracts: — s’ "It is understood that plans have i- been approved for extension of the existing marshalling facilities at s’ Lyttelton by the provision of a marie shalling area on reclaimed land at Officer’s Point. The use of this ie area will help to ease the pressure to on the existing marshalling lines -d and should be provided as soon as 1G possible, as there are ever-recurring a delays to vesesls due to the complete inadequacy of the marshalling yards ld at Lyttelton. “At present, the railway points n " are locked for hourly periods in the /c morning and evening when passenger trains are serving the steamerexpress. This places a serious re- * striction on the placing of shunts ‘‘ on wharves, particularly before 8 ’’ a.m. j “A serious shortage of both rolling

stock and truck covers frequently restricts both discharging and loading vessels. Congestion at the Christchurch goods sheds also seriously

restricts discharge. “For a variety of reasons, there has been a continuing bottleneck at the Christchurch goods yards, resulting in an undue number of railway waggons being under load. This not only results in substantial delays to vessels discharging, with consequent congestion at the port of Lyttelton and delays to loading vessels, but also in a shortage of

railway waggons, not only at Lyttelton but throughout the South Island, for the handling of outward general

cargo.” Members agreed with Mr Burk that the board was doing its best to provide improved facilities for everyone. <