lOTUEKA HARBOUR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 19 September 1936, Page 3

lOTUEKA HARBOUR

LOAN PROPOSAL BOARD CHAIRMAN STATES POSITION A PROGRESSIVE MOVE (Prom Our Own Correspondent) In an interview, Mr C. L. Harvey, chairman of the Motueka Harbour Board, explained his Board’s reasons for going to the ratepayers of the harbour district with a proposal to raise a special loan of £SOOO, at a poll to be taken on Wednesday the 30th instant. SAND ACCUMULATIONS

Mr Harvey stated that the Harbour Board had been very much concerned, for a number of years, about the increasing menace of accumulations of sand,.in shoals and a long sand spit which had formed at the mouth of the harbour, having completely blocked up the channel mouth which had been dredged to completion in the year 1916. At the present time it is necessary for vessels using the port to take a circuituous course around the end of the sand spit, when entering or leaving the harbour, and the present appearances according 'to the Board’s advisory ' engineers, whoso opinions are confirmed by the En-gineer-in-Chief. of the Marine Department, that unless some preventative measures are taken, that it might reasonably be expected that it is only a matter of time before the harbour is rendered unfit for navigation by the class of vessels now engaged in the trade of the port.

EXPERT ADVICE Mr Harvey said that the present menace was not one that had only recently been discovered as it had been threatening for a number of years, and that during that time the Board had sought expert advice as to what would be the best course to adopt. The engineers had at first advised that nature might yet effect its own cure of the trouble, thus saving the Board the cost of work which would be very considerable. However the advisory engineers said that the position should be closely watched. Time, however, had shown that there now appears to be no chance of the quantities of sand decreasing.

TIDAL CURRENTS DEFLECTED /

Some two years ago a scheme estimated to' cost a sum of £II,OOO had been recommended by the .engineers and a loan proposal to that amount had been placed before the ratepayers of the harbour district. That proposal was negatived by the ratepayers. The Board then decided that it was imperative in the interests of. the harbour and the district that something must be done to. improve the channel. With that end in view the Minister of Marine was approached,' and by the advice of the Government, engineer, some eight chains of a training wall, constructed of timber and gravel was erected; in the position chosen by the engineer, in their original major scheme. This temporary wall,, ultimately proved that the tidal currents could be deflected by such means and that its influence had a beneficial effect in removing large quantities of the sand , which threatens the utility of the harbour. The Minister was again approached and by his consent a further ' scheme submitted by the Board’s consulting, engineer, at an estimated cost, within the limits of the Board’s finance was approved. That is the scheme which the ratepayers are now asked to support, by. their sanction of a special loan of £5,000. The present scheme will entail an estimated expenditure of £B,OOO, to be made up as follows: — £ By the raising of a loan of 5000 Government subsidy 1600 From savings of the Board’s revenue 1400 Total £BOOO The harbour improvement and the channel restoration works now proposed to be undertaken consists of a training wall constructed entirely of concrete - and stone, of a total length of some 30 chains. The services of Mr C. E. O'Brien, for the supervision and construction of this new training wall have been arranged for.

MANY BENEFITS By sanction of the loan Mr Harvey stated, the Port of Motueka will once again be provided with a channel giving a straight and navigable course to the largest class of vessel which formerly visited the harbour and without the undue risks which they would .now have .tp.,contend with. A harbour, with a'good navigable channel; is absolutely essential- in the interests of fruit and tobacco growers especially. The consignments of coke and manures etc. if the harbour . was allowed 5 to blockvand become 7a port suitable;'only for the navigation-? of scows, the produce would have to bear the cost of at least. seveteen Shillings and- sixpence per. ton extra, by such commodities having to be ' landed at Nelson and then transported overland to its destination. NO LIKELIHOOD OF RATE The chairman further said that the finances of the Board are such to-day that there is no likelihood of a rate having to be collected on the loan now proposed to be raised. The reason for his statement in this, that during the last few years debentures of £SOOO pf a £6OOO loan, which has never been subject to the collection of a rate, had been paid. And, further, at the present, time the Board had £3569 credit in its account at the Bank. . , ’ V