Westport Harbour Development Government May Choose Less Costly Scheme

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30737, 29 April 1965, Page 9

Westport Harbour Development Government May Choose Less Costly Scheme

(From Our Own Reporter)

WESTPORT, April 27. fenders received for the Westport Harbour development scheme made a PP ar ~hat the lowest price would be well above the figure of £650,000 estimated by the Prime Minister ) f in e August, the Secretary of Marine (Mr G. L. OHalloran), told the Westport Harbour Advisory Committee today.

He sought an opinion on an alternate and less costly scheme, on the lines suggested by the Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) when he met the committee six months ago at Westport. This scheme provides for narrowing of the entrance only, compared with exten-

sion of the two moles incorporated with the narrowing scheme in the initial proposal.

The committee today decided not to change its attitude and asked for the major work to be started immediately. Mr O’Halloran said that the

Minister would definitely keep the port open. None of the tenders called for the major work gave a firm picture and there were too many contingencies, conditions and vagaries to enable the Government to arrive at a reasonable price, he said. “The possibility of the scheme costing much more than anticipated is worrying the Government and what the final decision will be on the harbour I do not know.” He expected that a decision would be reached at a Cabinet meeting next Monday. Mr R. A. Simpson, Ministry of Works engineer in charge of harbour works, said some physical work to improve the port was necessary, as reliance could not be placed on regular attention by the dredgers. The sticky point was the cost of major works assessed against the trade of the port and he felt that the lowest tender might prove so high as to influence the Government to adopt the less expensive plan.

Mr O'Halloran said the Minister had expressed determination after leaving a Cabinet meeting on Monday that some work would have to be done to keep the port open. He was keen to ascertain the committee’s attitude on the alternate proposal. The chairman (Mr C. F. Schadick): “I can tell you now that it will not be accepted.”

Mr G. Levestam said concern had often been expressed by ships’ captains and other at the narrowness of the Greymouth Harbour entrance. Mr Simpson said no scheme for Westport would make its entrance as narrow as Greymouth’s, nor did he anticipate that any would be a danger to navigation.

Even if the extra cost was £150,000 it would be a small sum taken over the three years and a half estimated for the major project, said Mr Schadick. Nothing had been said when the Roxburgh hydro scheme had cost millions more than anticipated.

Mr O’Halloran said there were odd conditions about the lowest tender, even with the price likely to be much greater than expected.