Lyttelton base for Russians?

Press, 8 November 1984, Page 3

Lyttelton base for Russians?

The development of Lyttelton as a leading base for foreign fishing vessels could be worth up to $2OO million to the Canterbury region, according to a member of the Lyttelton Harbour Board.

Captain C. M. Anderson told a meeting of the board’s trade and commercial development committee yesterday that if the Soviet Union decided to make Lyttelton the main service port for its big southern fishing fleet it would generate a tremendous amount of revenue for the region. The figure of $2OO million was based “fairly soundly” on the amount of money spent in the port for bunkering, repair work, and drydocking of Russian vessels. “If you bring in the whole of the southern fleet to Lyttelton for crew changes and servicing you are looking at a lot of ships,” he said.

Mr P. J. Skellerup, who chaired the meeting in the absence of the chairman, Mr G. E. Wright, said Lyttelton was an ideal port for such a base and the board should encourage foreign fishing fleets to use its facilities.

The Harbourmaster, Captain J. A. Barbour, said' 95 Russian trawlers called at

Lyttelton last year and there were “one or two” on survey at most times of the year.

“Over the years I believe Lyttelton has set itself up as a port of good repute,” he said. “They like coming here.”

The port’s bunkering facilities could be improved to allow more than one vessel to use the oil wharf.

“The oil companies may agree to extend the bunkering line along the wharf to enable up to four vessels to bunker at the one time,” he said.

The board’s marketing manager, Mr Peter Morgan,

said an announcement could be due soon on a proposal to fly Soviet crews to Christchurch for crew changes at Lyttelton. The managing director of the Lyttelton-based engineering firm, Sinclair Melbourne, Ltd, Mr Bill Dolan, said yesterday that his company hoped the Soviet Union would use Lyttelton as its main port for crew changes and ship repairs. “Should they decide to do so we could expect to increase our present workforce quite substantially. However, the matter now rests with the Government,” he said. .

On average, every week there was at least one Russian trawler in port for repairs or bunkering, Mr Dolan said. Sinclair Melbourne has a two-year contract for the maintenance of Russian vessels using Lyttelton.