COASTAL SURVEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 15

COASTAL SURVEY.

QUESTION. OF TIDAL CURRENT. EFFECT ON BAR AT HEADS. At the meeting of the Harbour Board on Friday evening the following recommendation was received from the Standing Committee: — “ That the matter of a survey of our portion of the coast line be placed before local bodies, with a view to enlisting their support in further approaching the Government to carry out a survey.” Captain M’Donald said that it gave him much pleasure to move the recommendation. In his opinion, it was most unfortunate that the board’s request for a survey should be put off indefinitely by the Government, especially when such survey was of vital importance to the success of their harbour, which was the main artery to Otago. They should make it quite clear that the survey asked for by the board and its engineer was not for the purpose of ordinary ocean navigation, but for the purpose of ascertaining the line of least resistance for the tidal current across the bar. He knew it was most unfortunate that this board had to alter the face of the earth for the purpose of keeping the main entrance to the province of Otago open for business, and in this connection he had formed the opinion that the early pioneers who had been asked to make their homes in Otago had to do so at a very great disadvantage in comparison with the other three main centres, who started with good harbours formed by the Governing laws of the Universe, and for this reason he. for one felt that the Government should carry out the survey asked for so that the engineers would know the best method of dealing with the bar at the Heads. They were still spending large sums of money on part of a scheme suggested by Sir John Goode about 50 years ago. when, in his opinion; the necessary information had not been available, and was still not available through the lack of coast line survey to the approaches to the Heads. He felt sure that if the area to be surveyed for the benefit of the port could be turned into a sheep run surveyors would be on the job right away. Mr C. 11. Hayward seconded the motion.

Mr f. Anderson said he did not think the question of a sheep run should be brought into the matter as a comparison. He also objected to the criticism which had been passed on Sir John Coode’s work. He had known more about the currents, perhaps, than they did at the present day.

Mr Loudon said that he had visited W elhngton on the board’s business with the secretary (Mr Bardsley) in 1925, and he would like to quote from the report then submitted to the board. They had waited upon the secretary to the Marine Department, and had gone fully into the question. . The department was evidently of the opinion that the time was overdue for the completion of a comprehensive survey of the New Zealand coast, and explained what had been done during recent years in the visinity of the Three Kings, Mahia Peninsula, Cook Strait from the West Coast, and the Bay of Islands. In 1920, the Marine Department had approached the Admiralty, with a request that the following surveys should be made without delay, placing them in the following order in the matter of urgency: —East coast of North Island from Poverty Bay to Cook Strait. Localitv north of Cuvier Island. The whole of the east coast of the South Island, which would cover the special requirements of our board. The request had been repeated in 1923, but beyond a formal acknowledgement of the communications nothing had been done. The marine secretary said he saw no reason why the various harbour boards of the dominion ihould not unite in an endeavour to get a general survey completed, but he suggested that before they did anything it -night be advisable to see Mr F. W. Pursuit, chief engineering adviser for New Zealand. Accordingly, they had waited on Mr Furkert and explained matters. He had been quite in accord with the Marine Department as to the necessity of the work being undertaken, but he feared that if the comprehensive survey were urged it might mean years of delay, whereas if the Otago Board made a special application to have the coast line surveyed from, say, Moeraki or Waikouaiti, North Head, to Cape Saunders, and gave the reasons, it was quite possible that the Laburnum wou’d be engaged to do the work without delay. He had promised to do everything he could to assist and expedite matters. Mr Loudon said that at that time the department had thought a survey was necessary. He thought nothing bub good could come of Captain M'Donald’s motion. They could use a warship and make a survey of the part from Cook Strait to Taiaroa Head. The chairman agreed that they had not got far with their negotiations with the Government. Captain M’Donald said he wanted to make it clear that it was the local survey from Cape Saunders to Moeraki, so that that he desired to be gone on with, say, they could get information regarding tlie tidal currents. The chairman said that the department had refused to do that part. The Harbours’ Association had desired a general survey of the whole coast line of the Dominion. The recommendation was adopted.