NAPIER HARBOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 69, 23 March 1931, Page 7

NAPIER HARBOUR

COST OF RESTORATION

An estimated expenditure of £45,000 is necessary to make:'the Napier harbour function reasonably, while £240,----000 will be necessary to restore the Harbour to a somewhat similar state as before the earthquake. This information, says the "Hawkes Bay Herald," was before the Napier Harbour Board from the board's consulting engineers, Messrs. 55.-W. Holmes and Son, who stated that the estimates were only approximate, as there was neither time nor has the data available been sufficient to enable more accurate estimates to be given. The dredging loan of £12,500 proposed by the board, has been held up by the Local Government Loans Board, as it was recognised that as a Tesult of the earthquake the board would have other and more urgent problems to attend to. The Loans Board advised the board of its action, stating also that it was presumed that pending a complete survey of the results of the earthquake and the restoration of present harbour facilities the board did not desire to take any action .in regard to the loin. The board received the letter. ' A HARBOUR COMMISSION. A suggestion that the Napier Harbour Board's affairs should be under the control of a Commission similar to that which has taken the place of the Napier Borough Council has met with a mixed reception from members of the board. The chairman, Mr. A. B. Jull, M.Pi, said that while he sympathised with the Borough Council in all its difficulties, the same position did not apply to the Harbour Board, which had to do with the conservation of the interests of the whole of the district, not only Napier, and to see that no overt attempt was made to divert the trade of the port other than by the sea. He did not think that the people in*Hawkes Bay desired to see the affairs of the port controlled by other than their own elected representatives. The suggestion which had been made was thought by Mr P. F. Higgins to be one worthy of consideration. When the Borough Council had suggested to the Government that its affairs should be controlled by a Commission, the Government had approved of the move, as it was felt that experts could more wisely and economically spend the money which was made available than otherwise would have been the case. If a Commission were to control the affairs of the board, it would be possible to have adequate representation on it. If there was to be any assistance forthcoming from the Government it would be necessary that they should have some control in the spending of that money. "People oufc side this district would welcome such a move," concluded Mr. Higgins.