NAVAL BASE WORKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22405, 29 April 1936, Page 14

NAVAL BASE WORKS

NEW TRAINING JETTY PROPOSED REPLACEMENT CALLIOPE DOCK EXTENSION A further improvement in the facilities at Calliope Dock and tho naval base, the repla<ement of tho existing wooden training jetty by a reinforced concrete structvre, is at present engaging tho attention of the Harbour Board and the Naval Department. No arrangement his yet been reached, but it is propos( d that the work should be done at the joint cost of tho two authorities. One side of tl.o existing jetty is used by vessels before entering Calliope Dock, and for the control of ships as they enter anc. leave the dock, and the training ship, H.M.S. Philomel, is berthed at tho other side. It is a fairly old structure. It' is proposed that tho new reinforced concrete pier should be 500 ft. long, or about 150 ft. longer than the present one. It would be built parallel with the axis of the dock, instead of at an angle as at present, as this interferes some vliat with the docking of vessels. To accommodate the two new cruisers, H.M.S'. Achilles and H.M.S. Leander, which are to replace H.M.S. Diomede and E .M.S. Dunedin respectively, considerable improvements are already being made at the naval base. A total of 19,110 cubic" yards of spoil has been dredged as a preliminary to, the extension of the Calliope Wharf westward, and the lengthening of tho Calliope Dock s already under way. At yesterday s meeting of the Harbour Board it was reported that detailed plans of ;he proposed new training jetty had been submitted to tho Minister of D< fence, Hon. F. Jones, and the Minister of Marino, Hon. P. Fraser, for approval.