LYTTELTON DOCK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22388, 7 April 1936, Page 15

LYTTELTON DOCK

EXTENSION NOT FAVOURED ENGINEER'S ADVERSE REPORT [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHURCH. Monday An adverse report on the proposed extension of the graving dock at Lyttelton was received by the Lyttelton Harbour Board at a meeting on Saturday from the board's engineer, Mr. P. W. Fryer. He reported that it was practically impossible to lengthen the dock, because of it closeness to the railway line at the upper end and the unfavourable nature of the bottom at the lower end. In his opinion widening would be of little benefit without increase in depth, which would involve almost complete reconstruction. Mr. Fryer argued that the case for widening had been weakened almost to vanishing point by the provision of large docks at Wellington and Port Chalmers, especially as with no addition to length and depth the increase in usefulness would be very small. Indeed, even disregarding the financial aspect he did not consider widening justified, because the number of extra vessels which could be accommodated would be very small and with two larger docks within such easy steaming distance at Wellington and Port Chalmers he doubted whether there would be any increased demand for the dock at till. Consideration of the report was deferred until Mr. Fryer's return from Australia.