HARBOUR BRIDGE SITES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 840, 7 December 1929, Page 1

HARBOUR BRIDGE SITES

NAVIGATION IS BOARD’S ONLY CONCERN FUTURE DEVELOPMENT "On the question of a bridge, the Harbour Board offers no opposition, but on the question of a bridge which might interfere with navigation it was the duty of the board, as trustee of the public interest, to offer all possible opposition.” In these words Mr. R. McVeagh opened the case for the Auckland Harbour Board at yesterday afternoon’s sitting of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Commission. Mr. McVeigh said it was felt that the waters above the western reclamation were very valuable. The board was not concerned with the site, so long as it was not on a line eastward of Point Erin and Xorthcote, but the horizontal and vertical clearances of the bridge wp-e matters of vital concern.

Mr. H. B. Burnett, superintendent and secretary of the Auckland Harbour Board, produced a letter from the Marine Department dated May 17, 1912, which, in regard to an application from the Colonial Sugar Refining Company for permission to carry out reclamation at Duck Creek, pointed out the cumulative effect of successive reclamation in reducing the quantity of water available for tidal scour, upon which the board depended for the maintenance of deep water in the harbour. He also mentioned proposals made before the war that a naval coaling station might be established in the upper part of the harbour.

In reply to the chairman, witness said he thought it quite likely that the upper reaches of the harbour would be used for commercial purposes at some time in the future.

After hearing the evidence of the harbourmaster, the commission ad journed until Monday morning. During the week-end the members of the commission will proceed as far north as Wellsford on a tour of the district which is expected to benefit by the erection of a bridge.