EXTENSIVE BARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7344, 3 June 1885, Page 5

EXTENSIVE BARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

RECOMMENDATIONS .BY THE ENGI- ; NEER.•-•••• . " The recently-appointed ' Engineer 'to the Harbour Board, Mr, John McGregor, submitted the following report to the Board yesterday, recommending extensive harbour improvements -' ,y 1. Jetties off Quay-btre?.t.—ln considering the most suitable design of jetty to project from Quaystreet frontage, the defective nature of tht existing atone wall intended to form the water frontage to the basin must also be taken into consideration, and in connection therewith the completion of reclaim-id land, now at a standstill. The works I have to recommend for construction in this buin urj two Jetties and a tidal landing stage. No. 1 jetty is shown on plan to be 400 feet long, by 7J feet wide, with provision for dredging to a depth of 18 feet below low water line. No. 2 jetty i* shown to bo 3D feet lone, by 60 feet wide, with provision for dredging to a depth of 12 feet below low water line. The jetties are placed in the best positions in the tasin for obtaining the respective depths of 18 feet and 12 feet, and are designed with solid rabble embankment in the centre, bavin? roadways 30 feet wide on top, and open piling at the sides carrying timber decks on each side 20 feet and IS feet for the 70 feet and 60 feet jetties respectively. the advantages of this mode of construction are that a solid permanent roadway 30 feet wide is got in the centre of the jetty where the heavy wheel traffic takes place, and the narrow margin of timber deck at the front used chiefly for landing goods is not subjected to the same wear and tear. But in order to place sucii information before the Board as will enable it to decide at to the relative values of what may be termed permanent, non-permanent, and partly permanent works, X have prepared estimates showing tbe cost per lineal foot of three different kinds ef jetties of similar widths on top, and provld. ing for similar depths of . water, from which yon will observe that the rubble-hearted jetty is the cheapest Of the three, and is in ray opinion the most suitable jetty to meet the present conditions of Auckland harbour, because the permanent concrete facing shown on one of the sections can be pat down afterwards, when the piling requires renewal, and then the whole work will be permanent. Were the root enda constructed at once, and a narrow rubble embankment run acrost> the space not yet reclaimed behind the stonewall, keeping it back about 60 feet therefrom, so as to take the pressure of the mud filling off the wall, the balance of reclamation of Quay-street Block could be finished immediately thereafter, and the land be made available for leasing purposes if required.

2. Landing Stage for Ferry Steamers.—The best position for a steam ferry lauding stage Is between Que. n-street Wharf and the proposed No. 1 jetty, and should be formed of a floating pontoon connected to the Quay by means of a hinged bridge. The pontoon rises and falls with the tide, and the length of the bridge is so arranged that an easy grade Is obtained at dead low water, and of course at high water the approach is practically level. This mode of working ferry traffic is far superior to a fixed jetty, and if suitable steamers were provided, wheeled traffic of every description, laden or unladen, could be carried across -the harbour with perfect safety. If the Board will prepare the suggestions, I will prepare the plans and estimate of cost of floating landing stages for both sides of the h»rbour for the main line of traffic. I have examined the Northcote and Birkenhead wharves, and recommend that the Northcote Tee should be extended touth-east 20ft.; that landing steps .should be provided at the north-west end, and light iron rails substituted for old wooden ones. Estimated cost, £225. The Birkenhead wharf only requires a new platform and band-rail to old steps, and iron rails for track road on top. Estimated cost, £50. Outer Western T, Qoees-street Wharf.—A large area of the timber decking on this wharf is In bad repair, and should be redecked with new planking, and covered with wooden cubes similar to the last piece at the end of the main Queen-street Wharf. The cubes should never be laid on the old uneven planking, but when laid on a smooth surface, make an excellent covering for a timber wharf, subject to heavy wear and tear from wharf traffic.

Wharf accommodation and Harbour Improvements. — Before submitting definite recom-mendations-oil the subject of wharf and shed accommodation, I am of opinion that a general plan of harbour improvements should be considered, and that all luture estimates of wharves and shipping facilities generally should form part of a clearly defined scheme for the conservation and improvement of the harbour as a whole. At present I can only indicate briefly the direction in which X think the Auckland harbour should be dealt with for the purpose of converting it into one of the best commercial harbours in these colonies, capable of accommodating the modem type of ocean-going steamers, in addition to the ere at variety of sailing ships and steamers that must always continue to be used in the coasting and Intercolonial trade of New Zealand. With the above object in view, a permanent quay frontage line should be laid down on the south side of the Auckland harbour, starting from Okahu Point,' with a slight concave curve towards the sea, to a point nearly oppobite Resolution Point; from thence along the 41-fathom depth in a straight line up the harbour to a point opposite Freeman's Bay, and from thence by a slight convex curve to • join the projecting reef opposite i'onsonby Point. The eastern and western ends of this frontage in shallow water should be formed of half-tide training walls only, but the straight line from opposite Resolution Point to the spit at the western side of Freeman's Bay could be made a very fine wharf frontage, with an average depth of 25 feet along the whole length of 13,200 lin. feet at low water. Behind this main quay, an eastern, central, and western tidal basin • would be formed, enclosing the natural bays along the foreshore, and provided with such wharves, jetties, cranes, and goods sheds as the trade of the port from time to time required. I have no hesitation in saying that the moat Important work for improving Auckland harbour is the establishment of the frontage line sketched out In this report. Nearly all tha works at present constructed in the harbour are projected from the foreshore at right angles to the ebb and flood tides, interrupting the currents that should bo made to do useful work in scouring and maintaining deep-water berths along a training wall and quay frontage following approximately, the natural configuration of the harbour, and guiding the currents instead of Intercepting them. The present railway approach to the port of Auckland do.-s not encourage extension of tidal basins and deepwater wharves to the eastward of Mechanics Bay, but if ever the railway comes round by Hobson's Bay, entering the city from the eastern end, the conditions would be completely altered, and the railway connections to the wharves, jetties, and goods sheds could then be made very perfect at this end of the harbour. Before the next Board meeting I hope to be able to submit a general plan showing definitely the line of quay frontage that, in my opinion, should be adopted, the areas of tidal basins, the positions of the entrances, extent of wharf accommodation with avail depths of (water, and such reclamation works as may be found absolutely necessary for railway and road approaches. McGregor. Several minor recommendations were also made.