KAIMAI TUNNEL Ministry To Finish Job

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32396, 8 September 1970, Page 24

KAIMAI TUNNEL Ministry To Finish Job

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 7.

The Kairnai railway tunnel, scene of a fatal collapse last January, is to be completed by the Ministry of Works, in spite of suggestions by the Commission of Inquiry that private enterprise would finish the job.

This decision by the Government was announced in a statement today by the Acting! Minister of Works (Mr Pickering).

He said the services of an! expert on tunnelling through; the type of ground met at Kairnai —talus and rubble—i were being sought to assist; with the rest of the work in this material.

Mr Pickering said the Government’s decision was made after it had considered reports from the Ministry of Works, the Mines Department and the Treasury. “The tunnel should pass from talus to solid rock about the end of this year, when an American tunnelling machine should be here to take over,” the Minister said. “The contract for this machine includes supervision for the first 1000 feet of excavation. A representative of the firm supplying the cutters for the machine will be on the site until the machine working is completed.” Mr Pickering said that Mr J. H. Lander, a senior partner in the firm of Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners, of London, would arrive at the Tongariro project this week on a routine visit Arrangements had been made for him to visit Kairnai and to confer with Ministry officials. In the meantime, work on the tunnel was proceeding steadily and well, with safety being the first consideration. If a suitable expert could be found overseas, said Mr Pickering, he would be engaged on a short-term basis of about three months.

The Minister himself plans to inspect the Kairnai tunnel this week-end.