WHANGAREI PORT FACILITIES.

Northern Advocate, 25 February 1944, Page 2

WHANGAREI PORT FACILITIES.

T HE Whangarei Harbour Board acted wisely yesterday when it instructed its engineer to report upon the practicability of constructing a channel from, Kioreroa to the town wharf which would obviate windings of the river channel that gives access to the town basin.

Whether the proposal is feasible from an engineering point of view, and whether, if it were carried out, it would be economic, are matters which call for expert advice. Without going into the much-discussed question whether Whangarei should concentrate its harbour facilities at Kioreroa or at the town wharf, matters which have been the subject of sharp controversy in past years, it is undeniable that everything should be done to make seaborne carriage of cargo to Whangarei as cheap and convenient as possible.

Rail competition with the harbour is a serious matter to the ratepayers who must make good any deficit in the harbour board’s revenue. This requires that the board shall reduce maintenance costs io a minimum, which might be assisted if a straighter channel from Kioreroa to the town wharf could bo kept at serviceable depth by means of natural scour.

Reduction of cost of maintaining the harbour, and the provision of added facilities, of which deep water is the most important, would put the board in a better position from which to fight rail competition. However, these are matters which could be more usefully discussed if a complete report upon the merits of the proposal brought before the board yesterday were available.

Tt is clearly desirable to explore every avenue which may improve the financial position of the harbour board and increase the usefulness and attractiveness of the port, thus preparing the way for the advancement of Whangarei and Northland when peace returns to the world.