Minister defends ship

Press, 31 May 1977, Page 10

Minister defends ship

Parliamentary reporter

The Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan), has defended the Coastal Ranger as the replacement for the Rangatira.

He was commenting on a statement by the chairman of the Canterbury Progress League (Mr D. S. McKenzie), that the Coastal Ranger was not a suitable replacement vessel for the Rangatira. “In view of the immediate availability of the vessel Hawea, renamed the Coastal Ranger, she was most suitable among the alternatives in tetms of cargo capacity and cost,” the Minister said. “Her ability to cope with the demands for cargo capacity is illustrated by the fact that the Coastal Ranger has recently been only 80 per cent full south-bound, and as little as 18 per cent full north-bound.

“In line with Government policy to provide a more comprehensive coastal service, the corporation will undertake a study of coastal cargoes, which includes the possibility of a larger ship serving more ports.”

Mr McLachlan expects the results of the study to be in his hands in the next two or three weeks. “It is not as yet possible to establish the exact rate at which the Coastal Ranger requires Government support,” Mr McLachlan said, “but it is in no way accurate to claim that the vessel provides a third of the service of the Rangatira, for three times the cost.”