HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27505, 27 September 1950, Page 6

HARBOUR IMPROVEMENT

PREPARATIONS FOR BLASTING AT GOAT ISLAND Equipment is rapidly being assembled on Goat Island for the blasting operations which will remove about 26,000 solid yards of rock—mostly submarine —from the island promontory to widen the channel leading to the Upper Harbour. One of the three compressed air drills to be used on the job has arrived on the island, and the workshop (60ft by 21ft) to house the equipment should be completed this week.

In about 14 days the contractors expect the delivery of some of the most important machinery. A mobile caterpillar crane, which is at present being overhauled at Timaru, should arrive soon, and then the large cantilever arm—the most important item of equipment in the drilling and blasting operations—will be transported. from Timaru and installed on the island. The Diesel engines and air compressors are already in position on concrete beds. Two bulldozers have been working on Goat Island, and an area of about three acres has been levelled out for the workshop, huts for the men, and the installation of equipment. A special launch, which is being built for the contractors at Carey's Bay, is almost finished. Delivery of the two Diesel engines is now awaited. The launch will be named Florelsie — an adaptation of the Christian names of the two contractors’ wives, Mrs Florence Brookes (of Timaru) and Mrs Elsie Coxhead. Mr W. L. Coxhead, of Dunedin, is superintending the work on the island. , , The first task of the launch will be to tow the special type Priestrnan dredge from Auckland. This _ dredge will be used to grab the spoil from the harbour bottom after blasting. The spoil will be used to form groynes between Harington Point and the Kaik to divert the channel in a more or less straight line.