GOOD DEPTH OF WATER

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1930, Page 11

GOOD DEPTH OF WATER

HARBOUR OF NEW PLYMOUTH FORTY-TWO FEET IN FAIRWAY. LARGEST SHIPS MAY MANOEUVRE, FURTHER DREDGING DECIDED ON, Steady dredging year in and year,out has so improved the. state of the ! New Plymouth harbour that a special ; report on th© matter was made to ;th® harbour board yesterday by the harbourmaster (Captain W. Waller). “/Th® harbour has recently been sounded and the nautical ’almanac, revised • and brought lip to date for the Marine ’De-. partinent,” said . Captain Waller. “The harbdnr ' and ' 'swinging basin now ! faresent ample room for manoeuvring ;the largest class of ships trading to; :the v Dominion. In coming in on the southern leading beacons in line and when abreast of the. breakwater end ther| is ‘ a depth of 42 feet at low water, mean spring tide. This is good water and very little less than the chief harbours in the Dominion.” : .

Gratification was expressed by members of the board, at the reaching’ of such a satisfactory condition as ft|r’ as . the depth of water at the port was; con* ► cerned. Subsequently, on the recom- K jnendation of a special com'riiittce set ■ up to report on a dredging programme, ■ the board resolved' to complete the;removal of the projecting portion of un- - dredged ground fronting the spending •• beach between the Moturoa.and. Newton :King '.whairves, and to. ( start with, thewitfenjpg pf'the cut oil ! the eastern | ?ide of. The Newton King wbarf by 120 ifeet, commencing, at a point on the sailing course indicated by the port pilot (Captain Mclntyre). The committee ex-» pressed the opinion that this worki was essential to the better working of, the pqrt irrespective of any future development. PORT OFFICERS’ REPORT. The recommendations of the harbourmaster (Captain W. Waller), the dredgemaster (Captain Mclntyre) and engineer (Mr. Lowson) upon which the committee based its recommendation dealt with the dredging policy that might be adopted for the immediate future in the development of the harbour. Maintenance dredging was not taken into consideration. at all. They first recommended the removal ' of the projection portion of undredged ground fronting the spending beach, between the wharves, which had already been authorised by the board, and would be the first works undertaken. Secondly they recommended that If no further development works were to be commenced for an indefinite time, say eight years or more, and frequent berthage of overseas vessels on the eastern, side of the Newton King-wharf was contemplated, then the dredged area should be widened east of that wharf from 210 feet to 330 feet, and to a depth of 25 . feet below low water, commencing operations at the sailing course and finishing 650 feet back from the end of the wharf. Eighteen months’ steady dredging should be allowed for the proposed cut, which was recommended in prefer- . ence to deepening the area between the wharves for the following reasons:— (a) The eastern Newton King berths were the most exposed in the harbour and the ground fringing the dredged area was composed largely of boulaers. There was’ consequently not only more risk of a vessel breaking adrift at one of these berths, but also tljei w«s every likelihood that in doing so it would be more extensively damaged than it would dsewhere.

(b) A vessel would be more likely, to break adrift from the Moturoa wharf overseas berth at' high than at low: watrr, in which event, existing depths between the wharves would no doubt bo found sufficient.

ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE. Should, however, the board contemplate commencing new works, particularly. in reinforced concrete, within the next four or five years, matters assumed a different complexion. Dredging in connection with a new reififorced concrete wharf, for example, should, in a . harbour where boulders were met with in deep cuts, be completed at least twelve months before the erection of v the structure was due to commence. Tins not only obviated structural damage through blasting, but permitted the edges of the cuts finding *. their final batter and being cleared out before constructional work began. Such points could not be over emphasised, as trieir real bearing on the questions involved was .apt either to be overlooked or. to be not appreciated to the full. - Should the commencement of new works be considered due in from four to eight years, and a definite development policy be fixed by the board now, it might be advantageous to work the suggested widening of the area east of the Newton King wharf in conjunction with the cuts required for any new

wharf. Such a procedure permitted the dredge working one area while blasting was in progress at the other. CHAIRMAN PLEASED. Tho chairman of tho board (Mr. C. E. Bellringer) 'said that he had been told by Captain Mclntyre that the fairway was now in excellent condition, and there was no need for maintenance, dredging in that respect for some time ' to come. Captain Mclntyre thought it was better to have the extra dredging done on the eastern side of the Newton King wharf -in order to provide plenty of backing room for single screw steamers. The work the board had decided to do oh the recommendation of the committee .would keep the dredge engaged practically until the time of. its next annual overhaul. There was sufficient loan money in hand from..the last instalment raised to carry out the work without raising, any more- loan money. At a time when people were beginning to say that the board was • too silent and doing all that it might it was particularly gratifying, said Mr. Bellringer, to know that such a satisfactory, position had been achieved. Captaini Waller’s remarks could hardly have- been made at a more opportune time. Recent- ■*' ly the speaker and Mr. E. Maxwell had inspected the port in company with Mr. Skinner, who had , made, surveys of the port when sand-drift had nearly shut up the port. Mr./Skinner had remarked that tho development that had. on place was simply wonderful.