NEW ALIGNMENT OF MOLE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23083, 23 December 1944, Page 4

NEW ALIGNMENT OF MOLE

Channel Freed From Silting Fortunate Change At Port Of Timaru Allention to the favourable effect of the harbour works on the siltation in the entrance channel at the port of Timaru, was drawn by Mr W. 11. Orbell at a meeting of the Harbour Hoard yesterday. The enormous silting had been stopped when the north mole was placed in its new alignment, he said, and the people of the district would be interested to hear that. Mr Orbell called on the engineer (Mr B. W. Charman) to explain how the new alignment had prevented thousands of tons of silt from settling in the channel. After describing the working of the dredges. Mr Charman said that since April 18 this year 398,000 tons had been lifted. The greatest quantity previously lifted by the dredge in 12 months had been 377,000 tons. The depth of water was being increased by 18 inches.

“The work done by the dredge had been very creditable,” said the chairman (Mr R. S. Goodman). During November 60.000 tons had been lifted, most of the work being done in the inner channel because of a heavy ground swell. The report of the board’s finance and administration committee stated that a letter had been received from the Gisborne Harbour Board suggesting that a conference be held in Wellington of delegates from various harbour boards that have suffered a serious loss of revenue through the centralisation of oversea vessels. On the motion of Mr W. H. Hall, seconded by Mr B. Howell, the committee recommended that, provided a full representation of delegates from the boards affected could be arranged, the Timaru Board be represented at such a conference.

The report also stated that a letter had been received from the Harbours’ Association advising that the Minister of Transport had appointed a committee to make inquiries regarding competition between the railways and coastal shipping, the desirability in the national interest of controlling

such competition, and the methods to be adopted for such control. After consideration, on the motion of Mr Hall, seconded by Mr H. J. R. Somerville, the committee recommend that the board state that they have no problems at the present time. Mr Goodman said that the position at Timaru in this respect had greatly improved. The report was The statement o” receipts and expenditure for November showed that the morj-h began with a credit balance of £5680. Receipts totalled £2306, including £1254 from rents and £543 from wharfage. Expenditure amounted to £8451, the principal items being £5961 for Iqan and interest payments and £lll9 for dredging. The bank balance at November 30 was a debit one of £464. A debit balance at the end of October was replaced by the credit of £5680 by an advance of £lO,OOO from the Loan Account. The actual debit balance at October 31 was £4319 and the actual debit at November 30 was £6464.