LARGER SHIPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25301, 11 August 1943, Page 2

LARGER SHIPS

BERTHAGE IN DUNEDIN HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS A proposal to carry out improvements to Otago Harbour so that larger overseas vessels may use the Dunedin wharves was agreed to by the Otago Harbour Board at a special meeting last night. The scheme, which was brought forward as a motion, notice of which had been given by the chairman (Mr R, S. Thompson), involves the widening of the channel betwen Goat and Quarantine Islands by cutting back Goat Island by 100 ft to a depth of 30ft at low water, the raising of the mole at the heads to its full height, the widening of Victoria channel and the swinging basin, and the provision of additional storage sheds at the Victoria and Birch street wharves. The finance for the proposals will be met from a loan of £400,000, which has already been authorised. , . , The chairman’s motion, which had been presented to the July meeting of the board, was amended last night to conform with the recommendations of the Finance Committee. The committee considered that the financial proposals were satisfactory, subject to the modification that, instead of transferring £20,000 from the tug allocation of £60,000 to new wharf sheds and making up this amount from the proceeds of the Tug Renewal Fund, which will amount to £20,000 in three years time, the new tug loan a^ oca £60,000 should remain and that the Tug Renewal Fund should be applied towards the erection of new sheds at the Victoria and Birch street wharves. Those present at the meeting were Messrs J. Preston, A. Smith, Clarke, J. T. Knewstubb, H. S. Watson, j B Waters, D. F. H. Sharpe, F. E. Tyson, W. Begg, and A. Mcßae.

Board’s Responsibility

Introducing his motion, the chairman said that the history of shipping accidents occurring in the channel between Goat and Quarantine Islands fully justified the overseas shipping companies placing a ban on vessels over 496 feet in length navigating the .channel. It was, .however, the sole responsibility of the board whether or not the ban was lifted in the near future. The arbour master (Captain F. G. McDonald) had drawn attention to the risk to tankers with their highly inflammable cargoes navigating the channel between the islands. The expenditure of £50,000 on the widening of the channel would greatly minimise that danger. After the war they must expect a substantial increase in the number of tankers visiting the port, a fact which would greatly accentuate the risks the board was at present running. "It wilb'take three years to complete the widening recommended by our harbour master." Mr Thompson said, “ and on comoletion of this work nearly 50 per cent, of the overseas vessels over 495 feet in length that are now compelled to berth at Port Chalmers will be able to proceed in safety to Dunedin for discharging and loading. On completion of this widening the next step is to deepen the already widened Victoria Channel and swinging basin to 24 feet at low water, thus permitting 70 per cent, of the overseas ships over 495 feet in length that now have no option but to berth at Port Chalmers to proceed in safety to Dunedin for discharging and loading. This deepening will take five years to complete by working dredge Otakou one shift, but only two years if two shifts are worked; Golden Opportunity " The expansion and development of our harbour must continue if we are to keep abreast of the insistent demands of shipping and trade. At Dunedin only is there scope for the wharves and sheds that must be erected in the future. In this connection we are indeed fortunate that our wharves there have the invaluable combination of road and rail communication. Moreover, this advantage can be extended to all our future wharves. Hence we now have a golden opportunity of exploiting to the full our priceless advantage of being able in the near future to discharge cargo from 17,000ton overseas vessels practically in the very heart of our city—an advantage enjoyed by no other large city in the South Island, and by only two large cities in the North Island, Auckland and Wellington. , . . „ "The major expansion of our port, the chairman added, “ must ultimately take place along the entire frontage to our South Endowment. Profiting by our own experience and the experience of other harbour boards, it is possible to construct there the most modern seaport in the Dominion. All this, of course, is contingent on the channel at the midway islands being widened. Tire expenditure cf £50,000 there will completely alter the outlook for the Port of Otago and make possible the utilisation to the full of all our great natural advantages. The discussion of Mr Thompson s motion was comparatively brief. Ail the members present agreed that the widening of the channel between Goat and Quarantine Islands was desirable. Particularly in view of the report of the harbour master, which pointed out that until the work was carried out there would always be a risk that an accident to a tanker would result in the escape of inflammable cargo, leading, possibly, to a major dl lt S was also agreed that there should be a proper sequence in the work that was to be carried out. Mr Preston said it should be understood that if the widening of the channel between the islands was not a success then the additional sheds should not be built.

Claims of Port Chalmers Mr Watson, who said that he would have to vote against the motion on principle, stated that no provision was made for getting the ships into the lower harbour. After the war the building programme of the shipping companies might produce ships which, because of length, draught, and beam, could be accommodated only at Port Chalmers. Some provision should be made to handle those ships at Port Chalmers. The lower harbour was being neglected. Mr Thompson said that since the board had taken over the wharves at Port Chalmers from the Railways Department it had spent £40,000, and there was still £24,000 to be spent on them. It was not fair to say that Port Chalmers had been nGfJlfictod. Mr Clarke suggested that the channel between the two islands should be widened by 150 feet at least. He did not think that' the extra sheds were necessary. If cargo were removed from the wharves efficiently there would be no “ There is no such thing as standing still,” said Mr Tyson. “If we do not go ahead we will drift back into the position of a third-rate port." The motion was carried, only Mr Watson dissenting. The report of the Finance Committee, which set out the financial arrangements in connection with the scheme, was also adopted, Mr Waters, who seconded the motion for its adoption, said that the board would increase its capital charges by relying on loan money to carry out tiie scheme. If, however, they did not take the risk that increased revenue after the war would enable them to meet. those charges, they would get nowhere. The risk was small.