GREYMOUTH HARBOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1929, Page 2

GREYMOUTH HARBOUR

NEW SCHEME DISCUSSED.

GREYMOUTH, April 3.

Considerable discussion look place at last evening's meeting of the Greyinoutli Harbour Board, on a motion put forward liy Mr J. Ryall that during; iiis absence abroad the chairman (Mr P. J. M’Lean) take the opportunity of obtaining a comprehensive report on either the provision of a deep-sea harbour for Greymouth or jiernianent alterations to the present harbour.

Mr G. A. Perry, said that Lite board would be justified in any sense in such an action. They had already spent over £2OOO in obtaining reports and advice on the present scheme. Mr M’Lenn expressed the opinion that the time had arrived for a more comprehensive, scheme of harbour extension. The present scheme was well in hand. The Auckland Board had made its plans for thirty, years ahead. He thought that on his travels he might see conditions similar to Greymouth Harbour, and he would he able to ascertain what had been done to overcome the difficulties. He could be trusted to secure lii.s report from reliable sources. .New Zealand had its exjicrt engineers, but Mr Furkett, the present Marine Department engineer, was not exclusively a marine engineer. The crux of the Coast’s future develop, ment rested with the harbour. Information should be available on which to prepare the board’s future policy.

Mr J). Tennent said that it was necessary to go on with the present scheme which, if carried out, as was being done at present, would need no further elaboration. To consult engineers in England on a scheme that was half done was not a lair tilt nig, nor would it .he reasonable to ask the Marine Department to authorise ati other scheme in the middle of the

present one. Air G. E. Perkins spoke in support of the idea. The hoard, lie said, need not go to any great expense in obtaining a report. When the present scheme was thought of, no one had had any idea of the great advance the Coast was to make. The Otira tunnel’s freight-carrying capacity had almost readied its limits, and any further increase in exports must he through the port.

Mr W. Clayton said that the board should take advantage of its chairman’s offer. There was nothing very successful about the present scheme. Mr Tennent moved as an amendment that the obtaining of the report should stand over until the lagoon is dredged.

Mr Clayton: I think that we can trust the chairman not to make a fool of himself.

Mr Tennent: I am not afraid of the chairman making a fool of himself, but of his making a fool of David Tennent and of the rest of the hoard.

After further discussion it was decided to delete from the original motion tlio word “comprehensive,” and to limit the amount to he spent on obtaining the report to £IOO. Hr ltyall formally put the motion. It was seconded pro forma by Mr Perry and carried on a show of hands, Messrs Tennent and Perry being against it.