INNER HARBOUR

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 148, 8 June 1932, Page 5

INNER HARBOUR

NEED FOR AN OPEN PORT. BREAKWATER IMPRACTICABLE FOR LIGHTERING. With a view to stressing the urgentneed of maintaining the Inner Harbour for the handling of the district’s export produce by lighters, a deputation from the Ratepayers’ and Householders’ Association of Port Ahuriri yesterday waited on a committee of the NapierHarbour Board. The deputation stressed the need for the board to open up the port and forcarrying on facilities in a proper manner. The deputation expressed itself as satisfied that the proposal to work lighters at the Breakwater was impracticable owing to the heavy swell, which would preclude the handling of carcases down the chute into the lighters. The deputation presented the following resolution passed by the association, to which consideration was promised by the committee: 1. “That in our opinion the only solution lies in a diversion of the Tutaekuri river, and we earnestly ask your board immediately to arrange for a diversion of the river in the most economical and practical manner, as may be determined by your board’s engineer. 2. “That, as we are of the opinion that the exports can only be handled through the Inner Harbour by means of lighters, so long as lighterage has to be resorted to your board see fit to arrange for the Kaione to dredge out the channel and so ensure the trade of the port being kept going. 3. “That this meeting emphatically protests against your board seeking the service of Mr F. W. Furkert, Engineer-in-Chief, to give advice on the present harbour question, as, apart from the river diversion, it does not appear to be an engineering question.”

The deputation dealt at considerable length with the resolutions, which no doubt, at to-morrow’s meeting, will be considered by the board.