Otago Harbour Board Lets Contract For Berth Work

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30635, 29 December 1964, Page 10

Otago Harbour Board Lets Contract For Berth Work

"The Prese" Special Service DUNEDIN, Dec. 28. A major step forward in the Otago Harbour Board’s £2.1 million port development scheme was taken when a £463,330 tender of Wilkins and Davies, Ltd., was accepted for the reconstruction of T and U berths and transit sheds.

The board’s general manager, Mr W. Keir, said the contract documents would probably be signed about January 3, and work would start soon afterwards. The contract is to be completed in 20 months. There

will be a £5OO a week bonus for completion before the contract time and a £2OO a week penalty for time taken additional to the contract period. Four tenders for the work were considered.

A request from the resident naval officer for permission to erect a triangular wharf and boatshed at the north end of the oil jetty was refused on the ground that the site was unsuitable. But the board approved a finance committee recommendation that every assistance should be given to find a suitable alternative site. “This board is not the grandmother of Otago,” Mr G. L. Cross said after Mr T. Anderson had suggested the board should take some action over irrigation for Central Otago.

“We should confine ourselves to our own business,” Mr Cross said. There were other bodies which could more appropriately take action on the matter, he said. Disagreeing with Mr Cross, Mr P. J. Scott said anything that would increase the amount of produce which went over Otago wharves was of interest to the board. Irrigation for Central Otago would mean more profit for the board, and the scheme should be supported, Mr Scott said. A total of 127,627 tons of cargo was handled on the wharves during October and November—26,ooo tons more than in the same two months last year, Mr Keir said in his monthly report.

“While this gives us a good start for the year, it is too short a period to be of any real significance,” Mr Keir said.

Increases in imports were mainly in phosphates and petroleum; export increases were mainly wool and frozen meat.

Revenue was higher than estimated and was also higher than for the same period last year. “This is a high-expenditure time of the year, but we will be able to transfer £2OOO to reserves, making £12,000 for the two months,” Mr Keir said.