Port plans praised

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32613, 22 May 1971, Page 18

Port plans praised

The Lyttelton Harbour Board was congratulated by the Minister of Transport (Mr Gordon) yesterday on its forward thinking in starting a third berth at Cashin Quay, for bulk and container loading, and for planning a second roll-on, roll-off berth.

Mr Gordon said he was convinced that container shipping would be coming to New Zealand, in spite of the withdrawal of the British Conference Lines. He said that container ships would come from Australia and Japan. He also said he was convinced that coastal and transTasman roll-on, roll-off shipping would prosper, and bulkhandling ships would continue to carry wood, cement, fertilisers, and coal. Mr Gordon was also enthusiastic about the board’s planning of eastern extensions to Cashin Quay for the stock-piling of coal and chips from the West Coast. "This is potentially a great trade. I can say, as Minister of Railways, that if the coal does come your way, it will come so fast and in such quantities that it may well be an embarrassment initially to the Railways Department” “NOT ECONOMICAL” “Container shipping is coming to New Zealand. It win come from Australia and Britain. As ‘he British Conference Lines said it is the most economic way of shipping," Mr Gordon said. “We asked them when they withdrew their promise of a container shipping service if it was because the service was not as economical as conventional shipping. They said conventional shipping was dearer. “Container ships will come to New Zealand from Australia and Japan—it is cheaper. The British withdrawal was a shock, but container shipping is a worldwide trend because of its economics,” Mr Gordon said.

Mr Gordon said he was aware of the alarm and misgivings among the smaller ports about the decline in trade with the introduction of the Cook Strait ferries; and a fourth had just been ordered. The National Ports’ Authority was considering compensation for socio-eco-nomic losses in smaller ports. “Gisborne is a port that is likely to be particularly hard hit I am often accused, when wearing my second hat as Minister of Railways, of not being concerned about

coastal shipping—as Minister of Transport. “Nothing could be further from the truth. It is an absolute distortion. New Zealanders do not want ships laid up, and I am a New Zealandup, and I am a New Zealander representing New Zealanders. “The future trend for coastal shipping is roll-on, roll-off. It is the first significant change in ships in 50 years. The Railways—and you are shareholders in railways—got into the act by taking the stem out of a ferry. “I know a fair bit about transport, but I am not an expert. The only thing I claim to be an expert in is the growing of swede turnips,” Mr Gordon said. “But there are four cardinal points in transportone, the transport of goods on (water is still the cheapest; two, steel wheels on steel rails is the next cheapest; three, the highly capitalised road transport industry—rubber tyres on bitumen roads with good foundations—is dearer, and, four, if you go the unnatural way and take to the air, then that is the dearest. “But we in New Zealand don't know the terminal costs of different methods of transport, nor the axle-load costs. We have never had a study in depth of the total transport costs in New Zealand.

“Tenders have just closed for expert consultants to make such a study. The tenderers include expert firms like Metre, whom you all know. We hope to have the results in 12 to 18 months.”

Mr Gordon and the board went into committee to discuss the Conference Lines withdrawal from container shipping to New Zealand. At the conclusion, Mr Gordon was applauded by board members.