Bid for crane fails

Press, 9 June 1978, Page 1

Bid for crane fails

Lyttelton has lost its bid for a second container crane. News of the decision came in a brief telephone message to the Lyttelton Harbour Board late yesterday afternoon from the chief executive officer of the Ports Authority (Mr W. A. Cullen), but details of the authority’s decision have yet to come to hand. Lyttelton was told it could not have a second crane “at the moment” but the Ports Authority was prepared to reconsider a second crane if the tonnage through Lvttelton warranted it. The board’s general manager (Mr J. A. McPhail) said last evening that board members were "‘naturally disappointed” at the news. But he said no further comment could be made until the Ports Authority’s decision had been studied in detail. However, the board had two months in which to lodge an appeal against the decision with the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan), said Mr McPhail. Lyttelton's application for a second crane received vociferous opposition from the Otago Harbour Board, which itself late last year succeeded in gaining approval for a second crane.