ENORMOUS EXPENSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26233, 17 August 1946, Page 8

ENORMOUS EXPENSE

WEST COAST HARBOUR VISITING ENGINEERS” REPORT (P-A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 16. That the enormous expense entailed in constructing an all-weather deepwater harbour on the West Coast was not justified because of the difficult bar conditions and insufficient potential commerce behind the harbour was the opinion of the two British consulting engineers, Messrs E. J. .Buckton and A. J. Clark, who have returned to Wellington after making a survey of the harbours at Greymouth and Westport. The inspection by the •engineers occupied a month. An examination was made of all possibilities from Okarito to Karamea. The matter of bar difficulty at Greymouth and Westport had become one of urgency, said an official of the Works Department to-day. Since coal reserves in the North Island had become exhausted and the free, speedy transport of coal from the Coast was essential to vital industry, several possibilities in particular had been investigated by the engineers. One was Point Elizabeth, a place at whch the Admiralty, in the days of coal ships in the fleet, had spent a lot of money Another proposal was at Lake Mahinanua, which, it had been suggested, should be connected to the sea by a cut made through the sand instead of using the river. Charleston, he said, was also considered as a deepwater harbour. Much lignite coal was coming from here at present to try to stem the shortage. Karamea and Little Wanganui were also inspected, though not with the idea of making use of them as against Greymouth or Westport, but to assess the possibilities. The two engineers went into the whole problem just as thoroughly as two men could possibly do in the time said the official, and saw harbour conditions as their worst with floods ships barbound and with heavy rain. The great difficulty along the whole of the coast was the drift of shingle, said Mr Bucklon This made it very hard to keep the best depth at the harbour entrances. While they were in the South Island the engineers made short visits to Lyttelton and Nelson, for which ports they are to furnish reports.