Lyttelton’s Container Claim Supported

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32017, 18 June 1969, Page 18

Lyttelton’s Container Claim Supported

The Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association will press strongly for Lyttelton to become a full container port.

No-one would invest in industry in the South Island if there was no southern container port, said Mr G. W. Hunt, when the association’s council met last evening.

all the reports had said Lyttelton would be suitable for a container port. Without this development, the port’s trade would drop 50 per cent. Mr Hunt said he thought that few, even among the manufacturers, realised what the effects would be in, say, 15 years. By the time the situation had resolved itself, more industry could be expected to have drifted north.

“1 can see money drifting to the north,” he said. “We have the second largest manufacturing city in New Zealand, but we would go down the drain without a container port. “We should let it be known that if the decision goes against us we will not accept it,” Mr M. L. Newman said. “We’ll get our own container ports, we’ll get our own container ships to call, and to hell with the North Island.”

The council decided first to declare full support for moves so far made to promote Lyttelton’s case for being one of the New Zealand container ports, and additionally to set up a committee to provide further support.

Without a container port in the South Island, he said, “we’d be at such a cost disadvantage we would be out. We’d better let them know in advance so they’ll know what they are heading for.”

Hie association’s director (Mr R. T. Alston) said that