Grey Harbour Board Operations For Month Reviewed

Grey River Argus, 6 October 1949, Page 3

Grey Harbour Board Operations For Month Reviewed

Two 15-ton and two 18-ton blocks were cast and a quantity of stone and' two concrete blocks were placed on the seaward end of the*- north breakwater at Greymouth stated the acting engineer, Mr B. D. Forbes, in his monthly report, presented at last night’s meeting of the Greymouth Harbour Board. On the south breakwater track work had occupied most of last month and a bulldozer had been engaged to level off the area for the proposed storage yard. Four bottom slabs had been made, each weighing 18 tons, added the report. The harbourmaster, Captain H. Moar, in his report, expressed dissatisfaction with the radio telephones recently bought by the board. ‘‘The main machine has completely broken down on two occasions and even after certain repairs had been made, their usefulness had not been consistent. The auxiliary machine has also given poor results, added Captain Moar. The board decided to have both machines overhauled. Captain Moar stated that shipping returns for the month were: arrivals 13 vessels (10,977 tons); departures 12 vessels (8,822 tons). WANGANUI BOARD’S REQUEST A request was received from the Wanganui Harbour Board for the boards’ permission to extend the ordinary working day of the Greymouth dredge (under contract to the Wanganui board) because of unfavourable tide and weather conditions. Members said that the contract had been made on the basis of a 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. working day, and until legal advice had been given as tc whether it was lawful for the board to adjust the control, the matter would have to be deferred. A motion was passed to this effect. The ■ letter from the Wanganui board added practically no dredging had been done since the dredge had arrived from Greymouth on September -- # Captain Moar said that the area to be dredged at Wanganui was so shallow that operations had been delayed by the lack of sufficient water and only three loads, totalling 800 tons, had been lifted in the first week the work being done in 14 hours over three days. The surge had also made it difficult I fox- the dredge to moor at the wharf and as a result, two wire mooring springs were broken, added Captain Moar. The Board decided to grant the loan of the mobile wharf crane to the Westland Co-operative Dairy Company, who are to use it in the erection of a storage shed at Hokitika. BLAKETOWN RATEPAYERS The Blaketown Preston Road Ratepayers’ Association advised the Board that? the two sections offered in Collins Street, for opening up, were not so desirable as the sections desired by the Association. The Association considered that the sections were “nothing but shingle bed, and would have to be built up’’. They were situated in the coldest part of Blaketown, and the Association did not consider that the enquiries made in regard to these sections was a fair indication of the demand for sections in Blaketown.

The letter added: “Should the Board open up the sections, requested by the Association, we would consider that, owing to the climatic position and the fact that it would make no difference if the bridge were closed, there would be a big demand for them”.