HARBOUR FACILITIES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 89, 30 March 1932, Page 7

HARBOUR FACILITIES

REDUCED BY SILTATION. USERS URGE ACTION. A deputation of representatives of the H.B. Woolbrokers’ Association, meat freezing companies, and the shipping companies invited Mr. A. E. Jull, M.P., chairman of the Napier Harbour Board, to meet them to-day to diicuss the position occasioned by the reduced facilities of the port brought about by the silting up of the Inner Harbour caused by the cutting of the now channel for the Tutaekuri river.

The deputation urged that every effort should be made to prevent the work at the Port from being dislocated. If the river diversion was the cause of the trouble the deputation suggested that some joint effort should be made with the River? Board whereby the difficulty could be overcome. Mr. Jull, in reply, said that the more serious position that had arisen just recently was being met by the board putting on the Apiti dredge, but this ■would only be a temporary measure. He assured the deputation that their representations would receive the board’s full consideration and he promised to get into toueh with the Rivers Board and arrange a conference when the position could be fully gone into. The deputation undertook, if it was necessary, to attend such a conference and place their views before the joint body.

PREPARATIONS FOR DREDGING. The pipe line to enable the dredge to pump into the North Pond has already ‘been laid and it is expected that the Apiti will commence dredging to-mor-row when it will clean up the approach to the West Quay opposite to the entrance to the Iron Pot. The channel from there out to sea is not presenting any difficulty to tho shipping.

CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE; The extent of tho siltation in the harbour area may be gathered when it is known that approximately 15 acres of high land was. washed away through the new cut being made. This means that a total of about 155,000 cubic yards of silt, sand and fine shingle has been moved seawards, with the result that a serious shallowing took place in the navigable area of the harbour.