ACCESS TO THE SEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22203, 5 March 1934, Page 8

ACCESS TO THE SEA

The report of the Access to the Sea Committee which was set up some months ago at the desire of a conference of representatives of local bodies and public : . organisations has given little satisfaction to either of the Leagues responsible for the promulgation of schemes designed to overcome the drawback that Christchurch is not actually a seaport. The views, of the port; Christchurch League and of the Port' and City League—- : which advocates what is knofyn as the Tunnel Road Scheme for thfe creation of .a direct commercial highway for motor transport -to and from, the ship's : side—are; in agreement '-. in so far as both rely upon arguments based on the shortcomings, of Lyttelton as regards its accessibility from the city. But the investigating committee, has been unable to discover any fresh factors pointing to the desirability of proceeding with either of the schemes, | and consequently that part of its order of reference dealing with the presentment of a feasible proposition has gone by the 1 board. This; is not aV all surprising, since the committee. has been guided in its: conclusions■,by the hard logic, -of facts. ] It' has idt, discovered any justification for sanguine ! calculations as to the great stimulation :of ;■ the,;'.•".tirade" of the vCanfcrbujy : province that might; be expected if the ! Cathedral City were/given more '.direct ; access to, the sea. - Nor has it! been I satisfied with' the.ldata presented that might form a basis of caleuiatipn of financial estimatesjn respect of;either scheme. ' But the agitation for direct access to',the; sea for Christchurch is: still ■ comparatively it his per-' haps not been going on for more than a quarter; of a.* cehtury, and it would be incautious to suggest that it has. ho prospect of ultimate- success when Christchurch has doubled or trebled its, population; Perhaps a moral may be drawn from' the; situation for the benefit of our own province;' \* There are jfchose ;who'■ ios§ hb : oppbrtuhily, of urging that the Otago Harbour Bbard, even to the extent of reversing its long; accepted policy, should concentrate upon making Port Chalmers the port of Otago. . Jthey seem'>to suggest that .the should- its losses" and let the upper harbour degenerate into a channel-for small .cqasters.X The'voice behind this gloomy gospel is of, course largely the voice of ''. Self-interest in a potent ? factor: in influencing the point of view- There is ho comparison whatever between the magnitude of the undertakings repre-. sented respectively; in the creation :6f \ ah estuary port for Christchurch and the construction of the Victoria Chanj nel to Dunedin. And this seems manifest, that if to-day Port Chalmers were the -terminal -point of; iiavigation in bur harbour, the argument for closer access to the sea for Dunedin, and for the bringing of large ships 'to the "city itself, would."appear: : soirresistible aind would: be so forciblyypresehted.that that i plan w6uid certainly be carried'Aut. The poli6y of the Otago Harbour Board, in a word, has been a natural policy, i such as would:haye commended itself tbi any body placed insimiiar circumstances. The encomiums passed on pur harbour by Mr Alexander Shaw would surprise, nobody Teatty conversant : with> this port and. its;advahtages, and-with what harbour, authorities;; havef. to contend with in some other parts of the : Worlds • *<•• •,•