THE ONEHUNGA WHARF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13493, 21 May 1907, Page 3

THE ONEHUNGA WHARF.

Sir,— your columns I have gathered tho following facts: Tho wharf accommodation at Onohunga in (shockingly inadequate, vessels having almost constantly to double, and evoni; treble bank, at Use wharves. • 2. -At very low tides it is impossible for vessels to leave. Only a. few days. ago a vessel's departure. from tliia cause) ; was delayed for several hours. 3. Tho Unebunga. Wharf is also in a_disgraceful state of disrepair, and is practically unsafe. 4. Tho construction of a canal from the Waifcemata to tho Manukau at Karaka Bay is only a matter of time, possibly even a very short time. 5. Were tho canal ccmstrupted, a railway would be required from Karaka Bay to Auckland. 6. Mr. Madfarlane, on Thursday week last, is reported to have said, iii rcferenco to £i proposal to take over tho Manukau Harbour, that "There would bo very heavy expense thoro for dredging.'.' To renew the existing , wharves at Onehunga, and to extend them to meet the needs of the rapidly increasing trade, also to do tho necessary very expensive dredging, would cost a big lot of money, and that on -works whjch, when tho canal is completed, would bo absolutely useless. Would it not, therefore, be advisable to at ,onoo commence tho construction of wharves at Karaka Bay, whore they would be required;. when tho canal is completed 1 The necessary railway to join Karaka Bay to Audkland would bo a very inexpensive affair. Tho distance from the present line at a point between Avond&lo and Now Lynn is only about two miles, perhaps a. little less. It is practically dead levol the whole way, excepting just at tho Manukau, where,*'for a few chains, there is a slight bank to cut through. Extremely little land would need to bo purchased, for a portion of the existing canal reserve could be used for the purpose. Tho Auckland-Kaipara lino would, to do the thing properly, require , to be altered so as to run direct into Auckland without that long dotour to Newmarket. Tho lino coming citywards should leave the present lino a little the other side of Momingsido' station, proceed up tho Archhill gully, with stations at Commercial Road for Archhill and Kingslar.d, and at Newton Road for all that neighbour* hood, should then tunnel under Karangahape Road to the gully between Queen and Grey Streets, terminating at a station at riar of proposed now 'iown Hall. This would considerably shorten the journey from ail stations on tho Kaipara line, would relieve tho Parnell tunnel of all the Kaipara. traffic, and enormously increase tho value of all lands served by the Kaipara railway. On tho Manukau at Karaka Bay, where the wharves should be erected, a largo area of land could- easily be reclaimed with ihei . spoil from the canal. I. would,* therefore, - suggest that tho only portion of .the canalr which would require much excavating above high-water mark, namely, tho first 20 chains or so from the Manukau side, should be cut down to a level of, say, Bft or 10ft above high-water mark, the spoil from same being used for the construction of wharf approaches, . railway station site', etc. The distance from Manukau Heads to Auckland via Karaka Bay and Kaipara line, as proposed above, would be five miles shorter than via'Onehunga, as at present, and fore miles of dredging in tho Manukau would' bo avoided. J. H. Phillips.