PORT OF WHANGAREI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19956, 26 May 1928, Page 12

PORT OF WHANGAREI.

PLANS.FOR DEVELOPMENT. BOARD'S POLICY ENDORSED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WHANGAREI, Friday. Tho report prepared by Mr. F. W. Furkert, engineer-in-chief of the Marine Department, who was recently asked by the Harbour Board to investigate the harbour development works and to advise which is the better of the two schemes submitted by the board's engineer, has been presented. Mr. Furkert endorsed the policy so far followed by the board, and designed by the engineer, namely, to construct a harbour at Kioreroa, just below the present railway bridge. The board, said Mr. Furkert, had two objects:—(l) To increase the harbour facilities so as to deal with all business offering at present; (2) progressively to improve the harbour so that eventually overseas vessels of large tonnage might be able to berth and take in and discharge cargo. There being freezing works at the Bay of Islands, whero deep water already exists, there was little likelihood, said Mr. Furkert, of works being erected in Whangarei for many years, and no industries were likely to be established the output of which would be taken overseas. Therefore, the making of a deep-sea harbour below the sandstone bar (the alternative scheme) was not warranted at the present time. Mr. Furkert recommended the continuation of the scheme of cutting through the sandstone bar and making a channel 150 ft. wide, with a depth of 16ft. at low water, spring tides, and 25ft. for berthage, and tho erection of a suitable wharf connected with the railways. 1 his would cost about £25,000 less than if a harbour were constructed below the sandstone bar. Pending the completion of the harbour at Kioreroa, which would occupy two years or mdre, Mr. Furkert recommended the strengthening of tho Oneroid wharf, and the placing of one or two big cranes to make possible the bunkering of phosphate ships. The cranes could later be transferred to Kioreroa.