PORT DREDGE LICENCE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28794, 15 January 1959, Page 8

PORT DREDGE LICENCE

Decision On Monday

(From Out Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, January 14. The Lyttelton Harbour Board expects to be told by next Monday whether the Government will give it an import licence for a new dredge. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Holloway) will make the decision during the week-end, A deputation from the board headed by the chairman, Mr W. P. Glue, today met officers of the Industries and Commerce Department, and for more than an hour discussed the need for the licence for the dredge to be built in Scotland. “As a result of the talks it was clear than the department’s officers did not realise the particular type of dredge required by us,” said Mr Glue. "They said they would make another report immediately to the Minister, who is at present in Palmerston North, we put all the technical detail before them, .and we should know the result by Monday, as the Minister is expected to make up hjs mind over the week-end.” With Mr Glue In the deputation were the secretary of the board, Mr A. L. Burk, and the board's engineer in chief, Mr J. A. Cashin. Mr R. E. Dawson, secretary of the New Zealand Harbours’ Association, was also present. Mr Burk said that a decision on the licence was top priority, as the successful tenderers for the building of the dredge, Lobnitz and Company, of Scotland, were anxious to know whether they could start or not. There had been seven tenders received for the job from Britain, the Continent, and Japan, but none from shipbuilders in New Zealand or Australia. Mr Burk and other members of the deputation declined to make any comment on how they thought the decision on the licence would go. ‘‘We will just wait and see and hope,” added Mr Burk. The importation of cranes, for the Lyttelton Harbour Board initially and for other New Zealand harbour boards, was also discussed at yesterday’s meeting. The over-all requirements of all harbour boards will be studied and further consideration will be given to the question by the Harbours’ Association.