NAPIER HINTERLAND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17178, 30 October 1926, Page 8

NAPIER HINTERLAND

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT new Bail way and harbor A scheme of considerable magnitude was outlined by Mr Eustace Lane in an address before the Napier Chamber of Commerce. Briefly, the object of Mr. Lane’s agitation i.s the formation of a company to construct a. railway lo open up tin* country between Napier and R-otorna, to establish fertiliser works and 1,, coils! met a deep-water harbor at I’oii -Mmi'iii.

CUBITAL OF THREE MILLIONS. Mr Lane- outlined a scheme, for the formation of a company for the development- of the, East. Coast and centre of the North Island. A small parent company would first he formed, to be known as Lane and) Co., to be succeeded' by a larger North Island Development Co. The purpose of the first company would be t.rt enter into an agreement, with the Imperial Government, the New Zealand Government, and the Napier Harbor Board, and then proceed to float the larger company with a capital of three millions, made up of a million from the Imperial Government, a million from tho New Zealand Government, andi a million to be subscribed in this country and if necessary overseas.

CENTRAL RAILWAY. The first proposal under the development scheme would be the construction of a North Island central railway, by private enterprise, at a cost of two millions. This would have a, length of about 130 miles, and would run from Pandora, Point, Napier, across the Harbor Board’s water reserves, to the Wharcrangi road and 1 proceed via- Ta,rnwera, Taupo, and Waiotapu, to junction with the Government line at Rotorua. The area behven the Napier end of the line, and tho Taradale road would be reclaimed and know'll as Napier West. The suggested line would reduce the distance between Napier and Auckland by 150 miles, and would provide a dead straight run through. It was hoped to solve the problem of the vast area of the Taupo plateau, and increase, its stock by at least a million sheep and exterminate its millions of rabbits and the blackberry menace. It- was also hoped to increase the number of sheep on the East Coast By a million. Easy access would, be provided! to grazing lands ill times of drought. Mr Lane also spoke of the possibility of establishing a military defence centre at Taupo, remarking that the North Island should he like a spider’s web, with the railways concentrating at the centre.

CHEMICAL WORKS. The second proposal in the scheme was the endowing up to £500,000 of chemical works at Port Ahuriri, to be run by a subsidiary company which would act as a hank in advancing fertilisers to farmers. AN INNER HARBOR, The construction of a harbor at Port Ahuriri by private enterprise under ecu tract to the Napier Harbor Board was also proposed. Under this scheme overseas boats would come alongside tho quays and loading operations would he done by mechanical contrivances. This harbor would be the same which the Harbor Board contracted to build under agreement with the Government when Mr Lane was representing Hastings-on llie hoard. He remarked that- he had carefully studied Mr Furkert’s report, and it would be his duty to criticise it at an early date. Mr Lane declared' that if. the Government would help him, the North Island central line would reach Rotorua before the Napier-Gishorue line reached Wniroa. He hoped that the Chamber of Commerce would urge, the members of Parliaments for the districts interested lo ask Hie Government to lend an officer to make a flying survey of the proposed route and prepare a rough estimate of the cost, to confirm Mr Lane’s .statements.

Mr li, Pickering asked Mr Lane where the location of Hit' new harbor would

“Simply the construction of Port Ahuriri,” Mr Lane replied. He added that he expected Westsliore to disappear in time. This would not affect, his proposal ; a road would have to he. made round the Inner Harbor.