OUR WEST COAST PORTS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 284, 28 August 1944, Page 4

OUR WEST COAST PORTS

In view of the promised increase in the coal production of the West Coast, the betterment of transport facilities becomes a matter of importance and some urgency. As far as the North Island markets are concerned the question, of course, is one of sea transport. It has become all too plain in the last year or two that the inadequacy and intermittence of supplies, though mainly due to output falling short of demand, have been aggravated by shipping delays. These delays, caused by the influence of weather conditions at Greymouth and Westport, are, frequent. They are responsible, directly or indirectly, for a constant trickle of economic loss to the whole community. The development of the coal-winning industry will remain handicapped unless shipping services are able Jo operate without danger or waste of time under all-weather conditions. The possibility of creating an all-weather harbour at Westport was referred to last week by Mr. J. C. Brown, president of the Buller Progress League, and his contention that with modern facilities this “should not present the slightest difficulty” is one which, no doubt, has aroused wide interest. It will be recalled that the port s prospects, but more particularly its problems of administration and finance, were investigated by a Royal Commission in 1913. Action on the lines of the commission’s recommendations was postponed during the period of the Great War, but in 1920 the control of the port was placed in the hands of the Marine Department. Since that date the department at various times has investigated the possibility of carrying out improvements, but no major work has been undertaken. The question as to whether a project on a scale sufficient to ensure the creation of a modern, all-weather port at Westport is feasible is one for special expert examination, and the outlook today is such as to encourage that study. If the proposition were assured of success within a reasonable compass of cost, there could be few more valuable undertakings fom the national standpoint. Moreover, the possibilities winch may exist at Greymouth for the betterment of facilities for the clearance of cargoes either directly from the port, or by rail to Westport, should by no means be overlooked.