Fight for freight

Press, 2 December 1978, Page 1

Fight for freight

Only a quarter of South Island container freight will come to Lyttelton in 1981: the rest will go to Port Chalmers, says the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr .1 Brand). Answering criticism from the chairman of the North Canterbury Federated Farmers agriculture section (Mr K M. Wells) that development. of port facilities by the Lyttelton Harbour Board was not warranted "at this time." Mr Brand yesterday told the section that the port had to retain trade where it could, and begin preparing now for a shipping move towards quarterramp vessels

Without the planned extension and alterations. Lyttelton could well lose side-loading vessels to Timaru, he said. A'ked if the board had not lost trade by its decision to increase charges for lower tonnages, MiBrand said that the alternative was better than losing $500,000 a tear. The costs had largely been limited to the container terminal, to make it selfsupporting. The board had been hit hardest by the loss of cargo to the Railwars. "If the Railways are made to pay their own way, coastal shipping will begin to move again," Mr Brand >aid.