THE NAPIER HARBOUR.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 257, 17 October 1911, Page 4

THE NAPIER HARBOUR.

PROPOSED DREDGING OPERATIONS. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. DREDGE CHARTER. At. this morning's meeting of the Napier Harbour Board the committee appointed to complete the charter of the Wellington dredge reported as follows : Your committee consisting of Messrs. Jull, Niven and the secretary. have arranged with the Wellington Harbour Board to fix the minimum period of charter at three instead of four months. All matters are well in hand now, the only question to be fixed before drawing up charter party being the question of insurance. The repor was a.doped. DREDGING COMMITTEE. The Dredging Committee reported :— Your committee, which comprises Messrs. Jull. Clark, Ellison, Lane, McGrath, and Niven, held two meetings during the month, the first on September 28th and the second on October 2nd. The members present at the firs! meeting were Messrs. Ellison (in the chair), (’lark. Lane, McGrath and Niven ; anil all the members were present at the second meeting--also Mr. George Nelson. Your committee recommend: Ist. -If possible a coal depot be constructed between Cat.tJe Yards and Boat Slip for convenience of ’Whakarire," and this dredge will also lie able to coal ex trip trucks at the Breakwater besides which we understand coal will frequently be transhipped direct from Colliers to the dredge. 2nd. -The question of land marks and beacons has been left to the Harbour Master and “J.D.0.” master to fix in conjunction with beacons to be ireeted by Mr. (’. D. Kennedy. 3rd. -That Mr. (’. D. Kennedy be employed to do the survey, plan work and soundings required at a fee of five guineas per day for himself and man, in addition to which the board has to supply .and man a boat for the sounding operations . ■lth.--That Mr. George McGreg.tr, of J. J. Niven and Co.’s staff. >e employed as the hoard’s valuer it. Wellington to inspect the ‘■'Wh.ak:rire’ ’before she is taken over by th? board, and that the board’s secretary go to Wellington to take ovei* the vessel and act with Dredge Superintendent Martin in making all arrangements with the Marine Department and as to conveyance of piping and other spare parts to Napier. Regarding proposed silt diversion scheme by Mr. George Nelson, your committee proceedea to a site situate between main street (Onepoto) and the Taradale road where Mr. Nelson outlined his proposals, after which it was decided that. Mr. Nelson put the whole details before Mr. C. D. Kennedy with the object of gating fiom the latter gentleman a plan setting out all details of the scheme, along with an estimate of the cost, which is to come before the board.

On this matter the secretary was instructed, as soon as he gets the plans, ec., from Mr. Kennedy, to formally apply to the Rivefs Board and Marine Department for permission to undertake the works, this step being taken so that your hoard agrees to go on with the scheme a minimum of time will be lost before starting. Mr. Parsons thought the report was not very comprehensive. It did not say where a start was to be made or anything like that. The Chairman pointed out that he amt Mr. Niven had interviewed Mr. Fergusson regarding dredging plans. It was ascertained that as Mr. D. Ken< edv was engineer for the Rivers Boai.i he could not act for the Harbour Board. They therefore engaged Mr. Rochfort to make a plan for silt trapping, etc. Mr. Parsons had hoped for a more, comprehensive report. The Chairman said Mr. Fergusson advised dredging outside and not to reduce the area to less than ten chains square ; he did not approve of a channel five chains wide. He thought, that it was v-.-tse to find out the class of material on the shoal, and dredge it to a proper depth, to gauge drift, and other matters. It was of primary importance to ascertain the nature of the bottom of the

shoal. . Tn reply to Mr. Lane the Chairman --aid Mr. Fergusson advised dredging the patch outside to the depth of 34ft. even il' it took two months. Mr. Lane held that it would be useless lo dredge outs.de until the inside was clear. If they dredged l)n | S ide and they then opened tie channel thev would only fill up the sh< 'il ngairn' The channel should be (In-dned and allowed lo scour itself cl< nr before fondling the outside. Mr Parsons endorsed what Mr. Lane' said. He ««''<’ ‘ lle w,,,k inside the harbour would fill up the outside. The board should get more information from Mr. Ferguson on this point. Would not the working () f the dredge inside loosen up spoil which would fill up the excavation outside. The Chairman said there was ft difference of opinion on the commit tee where the dredge should start. He showed v.hat informal ion was trained from Mr. Ferguson. He pointed out that the board was de parting from the intention m hiring Hie dredge. It was not a question of constructing a harbour straight awav but of finding out definitely whether it was possible to make a ( . ba n„ ( q. The paramount quest mn of importance was the lusting of he channel. No one doubted the ability to dig out the Inner Harbour to a,; v th requi-ed. but they needed to be assured tliai an ellevtual enttanee was possible. _ He read the minutes of the meeting with Ml. Ferguson. Mr- Ferguson thought ileii sdt from the Inner Harbour would probably form a bar outside the pier heads before reaching the dredged out slio.il. There «ih no

r Mr. -full sstid. hl get- into :i frenzy over where the dredge should start. Mr. Niven did not agree with .Mr. Parsons. The area outside was very wide, a deposit of silt would be very triHing. Hr emphasised the fact that this dredging work had to he very carefully thought out and the Superintendent of the dredge wanted to fee! his way. Some peo pie were too precipitate. They wanted a r»tn and a dredge ami to start making a harbour straight! away. They should have the matter! entirely to the Superintendent of the! dredge to make his plans. I Mr. Lane said there were three ob- ( jects in making the experiments j granting the paramount importance of the dredging of the shoal—and they included the testing of the cost of dredging the harbour and trapping the silt. It was flying in the face of Mr. Ferguson's own advice to fill up their work outside by dredging in the Inner Harbour afterwards. Tile report was then adopted.