ROWING Empire Games Course Would Cost £14,000

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30062, 21 February 1963, Page 17

ROWING Empire Games Course Would Cost £14,000

The minimum cost of dredging out a rowing course of Empire Games standard on the estuary would- be £14,000, the president of the Canterbury Rowing Association (Mr B. R. Walker) told delegates at a meeting of the association, last evening. That was only the cost of making a course of a mile and a quarter in length, 100 yards wide with a depth of five feet at low water. Headquarters and other facilities would be necessary, he said. Since the estuary seemed to be the best place for a course, the association decided to write to all interested bodies and organisations calling for a meeting to be held soon after Easter to discuss all possible .considerations involved.

It was likely that other organisations would be pleased to see a permanent headquarters and adequate course for their own sports, said Mr Walker. banger On River The association was told by the Marine Department that it had no authority over navigation at Kerr's Reach. The authority was vested in the chairman of the Drainage Board, Mr E. Scott. The association had written to the department expressing concern at the danger of injury to people who were on the river when crews were in training, and requested a ruling on the matter.

Delegates agreed that this was not a satisfactory state of affairs and agreed that a further letter be . written to the department asking whether the association could hold a sub-authority under Mr Scott over the rowing course at the Reach. As the association had not yet taken delivery of its new eight, no boat would be available for a provincial crew to take part in the triangular regatta in Southlandin April. Delegates from the three river clubs said their clubs would provide boats for training l but not for travelling. They felt that as visiting oarsmen were boated it was only fair that Southland should provide a boat. It was decided to write to Southland asking for the loan of a boat, pointing out that Canterbury would be unable to compete if none were available.