Port Deepening To Cope With Log Loss

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31658, 19 April 1968, Page 22

Port Deepening To Cope With Log Loss

(New Zealand Press Association) NELSON, April 18. Two Nelson Harbour Board officers will travel to Wellington tomorrow to seek authority and finance for urgent work to deepen the harbour.

The dredging is required for the quick shipment of timber blown down or damaged in the Golden Downs forest by the gales last week. The board decided at a special meeting yesterday to send its managing secretary, Mr W. T L Parr, and its engineer; Mr D. Calwell, to Wellington. Representatives of the Forest Service, the Treasury, and the stevedoring interests attended the meeting to discuss the steps to take. The Nelson Conservator of Forests (Mr P. W. Maplesden) told the meeting that the damaged area in the forest was about 750 to 1000 acres of mature radiata pine. About 6m cubic feet was flattened, he said. The timber was worth about $2.4m. It had to be shipped quickly to avoid deterioration. To get the work done as quickly as possible the board will bring the Timaru dredge-

master to Nelson to inspect the port. The board has already taken steps towards hiring the Timaru dredge. While in Wellington Mr Calwell will make enquiries into the use of a dredge working there. The plan is to deepen Nelson Harbour to 28 feet to allow the use of larger log ships to carry out the damaged timber before Christinas.