Bristol Seeking Cargo

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31935, 12 March 1969, Page 1

Bristol Seeking Cargo

In an attempt to increase the flow of New Zealand exports through Avonmouth, the port of Bristol, the chairman of the Port of Bristol Authority (S i r Kenneth Brown) is having talks with New Zealand port authorities.

As soon as he arrived in New Zealand yesterday from Sydney he had talks with the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr F. I. Sutton) and the board’s general manager (Mr A. J. Sowden). Today he will have talks in Christchurch with executives of the Timaru Harbour Board and of the meatexporting firm of Towers and Company (N.Z.), Ltd. In the North Island, he will have talks with the port authorities in Wellington and Auckland. Asked why he was having talks with only two boards in the South Island, Sir Kenneth Brown said that they had invited him to come for talks.

“Our best-established contacts are with these two particular ports,” he said. “We have responded to their request. We altered our original schedule to take in these two South Island ports.” Sir Kenneth Brown is accompanied by the Port of Bristol Authority’s general manager (Mr G. Edney), its assistant manager for trade and commerce (Mr C. Jones), and its publicity officer (Mr J. Corin). Asked whether he thought the talks with the Lyttelton and Timaru boards would channel more exports through Avonmouth, Sir Kenneth Brown said he had come a long way to try to bring this about. He would be very disappointed if he failed. Bristol’s port was being

rapidly modernised. When the M 4 and M 5 motorways connecting Bristol with the Midlands, London and the southwest were completed, the port’s ability to distribute exports from New Zealand would be second to none. New Zealand trade was already well established with Bristol. In 1968 more than 22,000 tons of New Zealand cheese and more than 17,000 tons of butter went through Bristol. Other New Zealand products through Bristol last year included casein, fruit, grain, metals, milk powder, seeds, vegetables and wool. Sir Kenneth Brown and his associates will inspect Lyttelton port facilities today and then leave for the North Island.