EXTENDED RIVER LIMITS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 29 September 1928, Page 2

EXTENDED RIVER LIMITS

FOR GOLDEN BAY FINDING Of COMMISSION EXTENSION NOT FAVOURED The Royal Commission which sat in Nelson during August to inquire into the position at Golden Bay and the advisability or otherwise of allowing launches to trade there as extended river limits, has new reported In His Excellency the Governor-General. Describing the proceedings of (he inquiry the'Comniissioners gave the following opinions of the various portions of the coast which t hey visited : SHELTERED ANCHORAGES As regards the sheltered anchorages: Astrolabe which as stated above is Ihe boundary of the. present Extended River Limits, and the Tata Islands are safe shelters in al! weathers, 'the. remainder of the shelters exist between Astrolabe and Ihe Tata, Islands but can only be considered temporary shelters in "offshort:" winds, and would be quite useless as shelters during easterly or northerly weather From the Tata Islands along the coast, of Golden Bay there are in the Commission's opinion no shelters which can be made available at, all slates of the tide, as vessels could only run in al nearly high-water. SETTLEMENT AND ACCESS

For some years the requirements of the settlers right up to Collingwood were met. by the s.s. Wairoa, owned by Messrs' Ricketts Brothers. This vessel was laid up about the middle of 1927, and, subsequent to her withdrawal, the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company Ltd., took up the trade with the s.s. 'Koi until the Ist March last, when tiie auxiliary scrow Te Aloha, owned by the same company replaced her. These vessels are good seaworthy craft, and were manned and equipped for the Extreme Limits, a somewhat higher standard :J(ban the requirements :for Extended Limits, especially in regard to manning.

The Assistant Manager of the Anchor Shipping and Foundary Company stated in his evidence that the Te Aroha would always call at any bay to take settlers' goods in or out provided the weather conditions were, on the day of sailing from Nelson, favourable; and that in fixing the time-table an extra hour was allowed between sailing at Nelson and the time of getting into Waitapu, so as to permit working of any bays requiring it. No evidence was brought forward to rebut this statement. On the contrary, the only settler who gave evidence and who complained of hardship in not being able, to get his produce away admitted in cross-examination that he had not even approached the Anchor Company to take if; and the Assistant Manager stated in evidence that, if he had been approached, he would have made cverv effort to load it.

If is clear, in l our opinion, that arrangements can always be made, weather permitting, for the requirements of the very few settlers in these bays up to and around Separation Point lo be met by the present service, maintained by a- vessel which is properly manned and equipped to meet weather conditions in the locality. SHIPPING DIFFICULTIES One of the principal witnesses, Mr 11. P. Wasnbourn., stated that he had fire clay in small lots from one ton upwards for shipment from Onekaka, but could not get it away. It was brought out in evidence that be wanted the company to load these shipments at the Onekaka Inlet wharf, whore the vessel would have to miss a tide (approximately 12 hours), whereas the company wanted to. load the material at the Iron Company's wharf a short distance away where the vessel could enter and leave at all stages of the tide. * ; It is obvious to us that it would not be a favourable proposition to a shipowner to be expected to lose so much of the ship's time for such small shipments.

From the evidence adduced it would appear that Mr Washbourn can get his material away, if it is loaded at the Iron Company's wharf, and that the Anchor Company will take it direct to any port to which the vessel may be proceeding; and that for oilier consignments the company require it to be taken to Nelson for transhipment there. Other vessels than the Anchor Company's call at the wharf on occasions, and no doubt they also would take any cargo offering for ports on their run. Tf Hie limits were extended, as asked for by Mr Washbourn, and a scow or other vessel put on for the work, it follows that he, would be in no. better position than at present, as such a. vessel, being only on an Extended River certificate, could not proceed to any oilier port than Nelson to discharge cargo. We will now proceed to answer the questions set out by your Excellency iii the Order of Reference, as follow : Question 1: Whether, having regard to safety of ships plying therein, and to life and property ctn the, said ships, the Extended River and Partially Smooth Water Limits for the Port of Nelson hereinbefore referred to, should be increased.

Reply: We are of the opinion that the Extended River and Partially Smooth Water Limits referred to should not be increased, as the risk to lite and property would, if the limits were extended, be increased for the following reasons: (a) In regard to oil launches under six tons register the law allows them lo run in this trade with only one man, and we consider that an extension, of the limits under this manning would tend to increase risk to life and property. ' (b) Generally the risk to life, and property would be increased, from the fact that, as stafetl in our report above, there are only two anchorages safe in all weathers, and the remainder are only safe in "off-shore'' winds, while some of them could only be availed of at suitable stales of the tide. Mr W. Fowler, in his evidence, stated that there were good shelters right up to Puponga, but Hie easterly cuts in very badly. The shelters referred to, however, from Talcaka to Puponga are subject lo tidal influences, and therefore if launches were caught in a heavy easterly at an adverse stage of the tide they could not get in. Mr J. TT. Wheatley, while in his evidence favouring an extension of qualified his statement by saving that, the men must have local knowledge and experience; and you cannot rely on getting that, and the law does not insist on it.

(c) The dangerous winds in the locality are seldom felt until the seaward boundary of the present limit is passed, and as one proceeds further seaward so is the weather increasingly felt. If therefore a vessel when, say, half way between Astrolabe and Separation Point found the weather such that shelter was necessary, there would be fully an hour's run (Mlher way before she reached a safe sTYehor The Widen, c of the Harbourmaster al Nelson, who staled that the extended area would not be as safe as the present area, as vessels would

meet rougher weather, confirms our op-. im'oii. Question 2. If the Commission is of opinion that the said limits should be increase/], then to what extent should such increase bo granted, and whether such increase should he granted generally, or restricted to any i specified class or classes of ship, and under what conditions, if any, as to the manning of ships such increase should he granted. Having answered question I in the negative, an answer to this question is not necessary. Question 3. If the Commission is of opinion that the said limits should not be increased, but should be modified or altered in any other moaner, then to what extent should sdffi modification or alteration he made. We are of the opinion that no reduction or modification of the said limits is necessary. Question 4. Whether, having regard to the special circumstances of New Zealand, especially in respect of coastal regions without roads, it is possible, with duo regard to the safety of life, to modify or relax the statutory provisions and regulations and instructions to surveyors in respect of launches carrying passengers or cargo in such coastal region, and, if so, in what respect and to what extent such statutory provision, regulations, and instructions may with such regard to safety be modified or relaxed. After considering the evidence, and the reports of the' Department's o.ficers with regard to launches and their equipment, we consider t'tiat there should not be any modification in the statutory provisions and regulations and instructions to surveyors. After all, the Department, in our opinion, can only view the question of manning and equipment from the point, of view of safety to life and properly, and would not be justified in re-„ during its standard in. the conditions which give rise to this particular question. Question 5. To report upon such other matters arising out of premises as may come under the notice of the Commission in the course of its inquiries, and on which the Commission may think it desirable or expedient to report. REPLY: I.'Willi regard to the two launches in Nelson, the Maritano, and the Nita, which now trade, within the present Extended River Limits, and which are now run by two very capable men, these launches could be granted permits to trade outside the limits on condition they carry two qualified men and comply with 'the conditions of the permits previously granted them by the department. <i. In. our opinion, no open cock-pit launch should he allowed to carry cargo where rough water is liable to be met, unless the cock-pit is adequately protected. We beg to return herewith the Commission and Warrant of our appointment ; and to hand to your Excellency with this Report the evidence taken by us.