STEAM POWER SCHEME

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29179, 13 April 1960, Page 9

STEAM POWER SCHEME

Westport Borough Council Move

At the suggestion of the Mayor (Mr J. Watson) the Westport Borough Council decided at its monthly meeting on Monday night to press on the Minister Of Industries and Commerce (Mr Holloway) the need for full consideration of the scheme advanced by the Buller organisation to provide a steam generating station at Wellington before going into the Cook Strait power cable proposal. Mr Watson gave fuller details of the new boiler in Use for the cheap generation of electric power from coal now in use in the united Kingdom and which the Prime Minister (Mr Nash) had promised to inspect. Cr. D. J. Sullivan seconded the Mayor’s motion and said it would back up the representations made by the district Organisation to the Cabinet Ministers who visited the district recently. He believed that those Ministers were now more sympathetic to the steam station proposition than had been the case previously.

Silting At Bar After It had been decided, also on the motion 6 fthe Mayor, to acquaint the Minister of Marine (Mr Fox) with the serious position which had developed because of bar silting at Westport, Cr. E. H. Senior claimed that unless Buller had a good harbour its claims for major works would be wasted. He said he could recall when the Waitemata carried 7000 tons of coal from Westport and the Biloela 6000 tons. In recent years the harbour had been neglected and a major job would now be necessapr to restore It. The Mayor said that a collier had been held up at Westport for a week and it was costing £560 a day to hold her in port.

The foreman (Mr T. Sullivan) and the drainage inspector (Mr A. E. Knight) are to be asked for a report on the possibility of constructing a footpath on the east side of Derby street between Mill and Fonblanque streets. A decision to that effect was made on the recommendation of the works committee.

Street Lighting The question of better street lighting in the Esplanade was referred to Mr T. A. Dobson, engineer to the Buller Power Board, to see if some improvements can be made while the electric lines are being replaced. The foreman is to be asked to investigate the state of the playing area at the corner of Fonblanque and Derby streets and make the necessary arrangements for levelling and grassing to bring the ground eventually to the desired level. Cr. Sullivan said that when it was ready the Westport Jaycees would provide the playground equipment

CR. D. J. SULLIVAN RESIGNS

Tributes By Mayor And Members

The resignation of Cr. D. J. Sullivan, who leaves next week to take up a legal practice at Palmerston North, was received with regret at the monthly meeting of the Westport Borough Council on Monday night The Mayor (Mr J. Watson) said that Cr. Sullivan had been a valuable member whom the council could ill afford to lose. On behalf of the council and all connected with it he extended best wishes to the departing councillor, Mrs Sullivan and family.

Other members joined in tributes to Mr Sullivan. His keen interest in the affairs of the district generally, and particularly in sport in which members of his family were already taking a prominent part, was referred to by Cr. W. A. Craddock.

Cr. Sullivan’s high position on the polling list indicated the high esteem in which he was held. Cr. Sullivan has been a keen worker for other organisations in the district such as the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, Road Transport Alliance, Savage Club, and Trotting Club.