HARBOUR PROSPECTS

Northern Advocate, 10 February 1928, Page 3

HARBOUR PROSPECTS

DISCUSSED BY CHAMBER

COALING- OF PHOSPHATE BOATS

At Wednesday night's meeting of the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce an interesting discussion took place regarding provision being made by the Harbour Board for the coaling of phosphate manure boats at Whangarei,.

Mr Crane considered that it was indeed gratifying to see the recent progress regarding the harbour, and he thought Mr Ellis had been well advised to visit the Whangarei district, which had inexhaustible supplies of coal suitable for ocean-going steamers. The Chamber must assist the Harbour Board in bringing to fruition the very important industrylying at our door. The Harbour Board had instituted inquiries for the purchase of a crane for the Onerahi Wharf, and this, if necessary, could be shifted to Kioreroa. The Chamber should confirm and approve the action of the Harbour Board in connection with: securing the coaling of island boats at Onerahi. Coal, light, power and water were handy to Whangarei Harbour, and he doubted whether such natural facilities could be offered elsewhere on New Zealand's sea coast. It had been a step in the right direction to secure the patronage of the big vessels without waiting for the completion of the Kioreroa scheme.

Mr Frogley animadverted on the proposal of the Harbour Board to provide a depth of 15 feet in th* Kioreroa channel. This would only provide a tidal creek, not nearly sufficient for ocean liners, which must, have the facilities they required, not what the Harbour Board proposed to give them. Whangarei should profit by the experience of Dunedin, where a loan of £4,000,000 had been wasted on account of not concentrating on a deep-water port. The big shipowners must be assured that facilities existed in Whangarei, otherwise the district would not be profited.

These remarks were endorsed by Mr Briggs, who propounded a series of five questions, which he said should be answered by the Harbour Board before the present scheme was gone on with.

It was decided to consider the matter further in committee and formulate a report. Mr A. Marshall was of opinion that had the Harbour Board awaited the completion of the Kioreroa scheme before approaching the phosphate firms the district would have lost all chance of securing £150,000 worth of trade. He considered that the Board should be congratulated on grasping its opportunity. A resolution on these lines was passed. -