Port service may change

Press, 19 November 1982, Page 10

Port service may change

Parliamentary reporter

Lyttelton may be replaced by Napier as the main port servicing the Chatham Islands. .

Investigations of a replacement for the Holmdale on the Chatham Islands run have been underway for some months, but no final decision has been made, according to . the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Highet. He was replying to a question in Parliament by Mrs Ann Hercus (Lab., Lyttelton) asking what discussions there had been about a replacement for the Holmdale. Mrs Hercus also asked if it were the official departmental view that the Chatham Islands should, in the future, be serviced from Napier rather than Lyttelton. Mr Highet said that in order to assess the feasibility of the options open to the Government, officials of his department and the Ministry of Transport had visited the Chathams during August to discuss the matter with the Chatham Islands County Council and other interested parties.

Views on the islands’ essential shopping service, in particular, had been sought, he said.

. The next stage of the Government’s review- would be to seek proposals from ship operators for a range of alternative shipping services to the Chatham Islands and to Stewart Island, in view of the need to replace the Stewart Island ferry Wairua.

A surprising outcome of the discussion on the Chatham Islands had been the apparent agreement among all sections of the island community that a change in the mainland port of call from Lyttelton, to a North Island port such as Napier

would be preferred, Mr Highet said. . This was being investigated by the department, Mr Highet said. But the investigation had not yet reached the point where the matter could be considered by the i Minister, or the Govern- - ment.