WATERFRONTS YEAR Turn-Round Still Major Problem

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30168, 27 June 1963, Page 18

WATERFRONTS YEAR Turn-Round Still Major Problem

(Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 26. Steps should be taken to improve the turn-round of shipping and the efficiency on the waterfront, according to the Waterfront Industry Commission’s annual report tabled in Parliament today.

The increase in overseas freight rates and the substantial increases in cost of port development and ship construction require that steps be taken to improve tarnrcund and efficiency, the commission said. But. it added, the tendency had been in recent years for overseas ships to visit more ports and discharge and load smaller quantities of cargo "This has had a material effect in slowin’ down the turn-round of overseas vessels on the coast. It is one of the matters being investigated by the committee appointed by the producer boards and the Conference Lines."

The commission said the present hours of work of waitersiders were kx high for efficiency and did not enable the worker to have much home life. “The introduction of shift work should result in an improvement in the hourly rate of work and bonuses earned. “Il its introduction is linked to the proposed review of contracting system, whereby workers receive the benefit of savings in non-productive time, this should go a long way towards meeting any reduction in earnings through reduced hours of work.” The commission said Conference Lines’ refrigerated ships spent 55.17 days discharging and loading at New Zealand ports in 1962 compared with 6217 days in 1951 Ships loading during the year spent 34.67 days on the coast compared with 37.91 the previous year.

The improvement in turnround, the commission said, was due to a reduction in the average tonnage of cargo handled on each vessel In addition there was no serious congestion of shipping and delays through awaiting berths, labour shortages, congestion of wharf and railway

goods sheds such as ocurred in 1961.

Cargo handled at New Zealand ports last year totalled 12,130,210 ♦ a decrease of 469,736 tons of the record amount handled in 1961. The main reason for the reduction was ‘Jhe alteration of the import licensing period during the year Wellington was the port hit hardest by the decrease. Its inward total was down by 173,037 tons compared with Auckland’s decrease of 164.079. Lyttelton 112.420. Taranaki 50,045. Tauranga 16.984. Timaru 15.678. Napier 10,995 and Nelson 8369 tons. Auckland had by far the largest increase in outward cargo. 52,313 more tons being handled. Other increases included Lyttelton 5235. Napier 7402 Nelson 5836, Timaru 2729. and Tauranga 7086 Total tonnage handled in the main ports was: Auckland 3 320.363 (a decrease of 144.350 tons on the 1961 figure); Wellington, 2.435.330 (128.015 less); Lyttelton, 1.397.910 (148.042 less); Tauranga. 740 859 (18.059 less); Napier. 552 368 (4603 less'; Taranaki. 4SOJOB (74,704 less); Wbansarei. 378.504 (increase of 35,518); Nelson, 275515 (1a044 less); Timaru, 241,511

(9378 less): Picton, 230,822 (increase of 106,186); Westport, 194,729 (7714 less); Onehunga, 164.856 (increase of 38.454); Greymouth, 163.743 (41,358 less): Gisborne. 86.956 <4294 less); Raglan, 18.098 (6492 less); Bay of Islands. 35,235 (1263 less).

The report stated the substantial increase in coastal cargo at Wellington and Picton was due to the operations iof the Aramoana. "There does not appear to be any doubt that the Aramoana will be followed by other railroad or drive-on drive-off ferries.” the commission said. The Aramoana was a challenge to coastal shipping to improve its efficiency and to g:ve regularity of service at competitive rates