Lyttelton Main Port?

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31195, 20 October 1966, Page 18

Lyttelton Main Port?

After seeing the ports of Auckland and Wellington, Mr A. C. Grover, chairman of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, visited Lyttelton yesterday and came away with the impression that when container-cargo ships really made their impact on New Zealand, Lyttelton, with its Cashin quay, was the logical New Zealand terminal.

“It is a fine deep-water harbour,” Mr Grover said. “The new quay is suitable for the ships that we can foresee in the future trading to New Zealand, the transit sheds are large and adequate, and there is space behind them.” He said he had not taken into account New Zealand considerations such as the closeness to markets; but Lyttelton commended itself as a New Zealand terminal. Mr Grover did not treat seriously a suggestion that when the big container-cargo ships were introduced there might be only one terminal port for Australia and New Zealand. He thought that while New Zealand continued to be a major supplier of primary produce to the United Kingdom there would be a need for a New Zealand terminal. Mr Grover was cautious on the design of container-cargo ships. They were a develop-

ment of shipping to keep pace with the demand, he said. But shipping companies were waiting to see how the trade developed before they built their ships. As an underwriting member of Lloyd’s since 1936, Mr Grover has a particular interest in insurance, and he said that maritime underwriters had had a rough time in recent years, having to compensate for heavy losses. Lloyd’s Register was a great reference book, he said, but that was a minor part of

its role. The main one was to give a record of ships of every country in the world and then have annual surveys to ensure that the ships met the safety and other requirements.

The register had competitors, Mr Grover said, but it was confident that it would retain its place and retain A.l at Lloyd’s as a hallmark. It also retained the confidence and co-operation of shipping companies throughout the world.