S.I. needs only one crane port—board

Press, 6 March 1985, Page 9

S.I. needs only one crane port—board

The Otago Harbour Board still believes there should be only one South Island container terminal and will probably oppose an application to the New Zealand Ports Authority to repair the damaged Lyttelton crane.

The Lyttelton Harbour Board will advertise today its intention to repair the crane. This will be confirmed later this month after objections and submissions have been made, and the decision then rests with the Ports Authority. The Otago board will decide at its meeting later this month what action it should take, according to its general manager, Captain Klaus Plate.

Captain Plate said last evening that the board might decide to object, or to merely lodge submissions pointing out that there was insufficient container traffic in the South Island to warrant two container terminals.

A total of about 75,000 containers were handled each year at Port Chalmers and Lyttelton. Captain Plate said this was barely enough to run one terminal efficiently, whereever that might be. This was putting an extra cost on to the New Zealand economy, which was ultimately borne by exporters and importers. The Otago Harbour Board could reduce its costs about 25 per cent if Port

Chalmers were the only South Island terminal, he said.

Captain Plate said the berthing accident at Lyttelton last month was “regrettable,” but did not alter the basic position Otago had taken since the late-19605, and which had been supported by the shipping lines.

The general manager of the Lyttelton Harbour board, Mr lan Brokenshire, said the Otago board was entitled to object as it had indicated that it probably would.

He was confident that Ports Authority approval would be obtained to repair the Lyttelton crane, particularly as permission had al-

ready been given to order the steel for the repairs. “The strength of our case is our history and performance,” he said. Commenting on assertions that Port Chalmers had sufficient facilities to handle ail South Island cargo, Mr Brokenshire said it seemed that the Otago board had a problem, as it had overcapitalised and overcommitted itself.

Representatives of both boards will attend the Harbour Boards’ Association meeting at Gisborne today. Although the issue would not be raised at the meeting, Captain Plate said it would be discussed between the Otago and Lyttelton members.