Whangarei Harbour Board Year Reviewed

Northern Advocate, 17 June 1947, Page 6

Whangarei Harbour Board Year Reviewed

THE board had taken every opportunity of placing its lands and the harbour before industrialists in connection with

manufacturing and storage, states the annual report to be presented by the chairman (Mr If. L. Whimp) to the Whangarei Harbour Board on Thursday.

Principal among those appre Development Company and a lai which were now interesting tht found in the district.

inched were Lhe llyperphosphate •ge petroleum company, both of mselves in the prospects to be

A scheme plan (subject lo any necessary modification) prepared by the engineer (Mr W. M. Fraser) for the progressive development of the harbour, had been adoptedAn acre of land had been acquired, through the provisions of the PublicWorks Act, fronting the river at Otaika, for the purpose of securing a supply of fresh water for the future needs of shipping and industries at Port Whangarei.

commodation of the town trade shipping. VESSELS WANTED Tenders received for an engine to replace the worn-out motor in the board's launch Haeremai being considered too high, the launch had been sold.

With the probability of overseas shipping returning to the port in the near future, the question of procuring a vessel that would he suitable for as-, sisting in the berthing, etc., of ships and for general heavy work, had engaged the board’s attention. An inspection by the engineer of a large fleet of craft lying in the Auckland harbour awaiting disposal by the Marine Department and the War Realisation Board failed to find a boat of the type required, and it might he found advisable to build a vessel, when necessary, in the board's own yard. The principal harbour work carried out had been the construction of a reclamation retaining embankment on the eastern side of the harbour at Port Whangarei; the enlarging and deepening of the swinging basin opposite the Railway Wharf—such work being still in progress—and maintenance dredging in the Town Basin. Lights and other aids to navigation, wharves, sheds and all plant and equipment had been maintained as well as the means at hand permitted. TRADE AND SHIPRFING During the year 668" vessels'll ad entered and cleared the port. This represented an increase of 49 compared with the previous year. The registered tonnage of the ships was: 1947. 97,284: 1946, 77,929.

The bush reserves at Bream Head and Manaia, together with the harbour sanctuary, had been guarded against fire and the discharging of guns. This work of protection was performed, at no cost lo the board, by honorary wardens appointed in that area. STATE COMPETITION During the war and up to the present time the harbours and landings controlled by the board along the coast as far north as Whangaruru, had been rendered idle, due to a shortage of shipping and to competitive forms of transport, states the chairman of the Whangarei Harbour Board (Mr E. L. Whimp) in his annual report, to be presented at the board's meeting on Thursday. With a prospect of those valuable waterways again being brought into use. and in order that the board would be conversant with any requirements of the settlers concerned, an inspection of these out-ports had been made recently by board members and officials. It was desired, Mr Whimp continued, to record the support given by the mayor and councillors of \ the borough to the board in its efforts to protect coastal shipping against competition by slate-aided forms of transport. Provision for the berthing of coastal shipping at all stages of the tides had engaged serious consideration throughout the year. Estimates had been prepared for the dredging of the town channel to a depth sufficient for the navigation, at low water, of vessels of 10ft draught; and at the same time, as an alternative proposal, figures were taken out for wharfage and shed faciities located at Port Whangarei designed for the ae-

Goods imported amounted to 47,002 tons, showing an increase of 7116 tons over last year’s figures. Exports were 105,698 tons compared with 100,339 for the year before, being an increase of' 5359 tons.-