New Cargo-Handling Methods For Bluff

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28399, 4 October 1957, Page 19

New Cargo-Handling Methods For Bluff

New methods for handling special cargoes were described by the chairman of the Bluff Harbour Board (Mr E. N. Adams) in an address to members of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and representatives of 28 other interested bodies yesterday. Mr Adams described in detail the development scheme for the Bluff harbour, which will increase greatly the capacity of the harbour.

The scheme for development had first originated in 1878, said Mr Adams, but it was not until 1938 that the present "island” scheme was suggested. The present scheme had been evolved in 1951, and in 1952 it had been taken to the public, with extensive publicity. Members of the Harbour Board had addressed more than 150 public meetings in Southland, and a loan poll conducted at the end of 1952 had shown strong public support for the scheme. Tenders had been called in 1956, and the contract was let on August 10 that year—a significant date in the development of Southland, said Mr Adams. The contract was given to a group of four French firms, who had offered the lowest tender of £3,221,000, with the time for completion to be three years and a half. At present the contractors were well up to schedule, and after 13 months about five acres of the reclaimed island was visible. Walled Island The scheme consists of the building of a walled island on a tongue of sand, to be linked to the mainland by a bridge 590 feet long. Rock walls and steel piles would be used, to give permanence to the scheme. Two berths

will be built—one for larger overseas vessels, and the other for coastal vessels. Extensive wharfIng facilities for oyster and fishing boats would also be provided on the island, and would prob-

? b J y finishe<i about a year before the rest of the harboS, he

Possibly the most revolutionary th °L the sew5 ew harbour wS the method used in the handling Adam'i Ch ““ cargo ’ Mr Adams. Frozen meat was the ® xpo F t from Blufl - and the Department of Agriculture bad estimated that in 15 years Southland would be the greatest meat producer in the Dominion. A modem belt loader was in use at present as a prototype and had been found far more satisfactory than the old-style of loading with slings from trucks. Under the older system, such as that used at Lyttelton, the maximum that could be loaded was 900 carcases an hour. With the continuous loader in use at Bluff up to 2200 carcases an hour could be loaded, and the rate was generally maintained at 1800 an hour. Movable Gantries The plan for the new harbour included a large shed with five movable gantries served by five tracks, so that continuous loading could be carried out in five holds at once. The loading bays could be served either from road or rail transport, and the whole installation would be covered to allow work to continue in all weathers. Loading of this type would be much faster than with slings, said Mr Adams, and the turnround both in shipping and trucks would be greatly speeded up. The Initial costs for the installation would be great, but they might be offset by the charging of a special berthing fee of about £lOO a day. "This may sound a lot, but ’.t will be saved in the speed of turnround.” In reply to a question, Mr Adams said that the Harbour Board expected that the revenue resulting from the increased trade would eliminate the necessity of heavy rating in the area. Almost half of the contract price had been raised at present, and mainly in the South Islands There had been no suggestion of any Government support so far.