BOAT HARBOUR WOULD COST OVER £132,000.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 30 March 1931, Page 7

BOAT HARBOUR WOULD COST OVER £132,000.

ENGINEER GIVES REPORT TO THE HARBOUR BOARD.

An estimate of £132,600 as the cost of a new boat harbour outside the inner harbour was submitted by the engineer (Mr P. W. Fryer) at today’s meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board. The report dealt with two possible locations for the boat harbour, one at Magazine Bay, and one at Diamond Harbour. Magazine Bay, which is just to the west of the Naval Point reclamation, was considered to be the more suitable by Mr Fryer, because the access to it was better. The report was received, no action to be taken The engineer reported that Diamond Harbour offered more natural protection from the easterly swell running up the harbour than did the Magazine Bay site, but a breakwater would still be required to give shelter from the northwest. In both cases the great depth of soft mud, which was common to all parts of the harbour, would make the cost of the necessary breakwaters very heavy. At Diamond Harbour a good supply of suitable stone for breakwater construction was available for quarrying, but at Magazine Bay difficulties of ownership were much greater, and the small amount of material available was far from suitable for the purpose. He considered that stone for protective works here would have to be transported from the other side of the harbour. Shelter from Winds. To provide necessary shelter from the east and south-west at Magazine Bay, which he considered the better site bocause of the difficulty of reaching Diamond Harbour by land, it would be necessary to continue the Naval Point reclamation for about 1900 feet. A shorter breakwater, 700 feet long, would have to be built cut from the western point of Magazine Bay. Between the ends of the two breakwaters would be left an entrance 100 feet wide, which would be sheltered from the prevail*nS winds and seas. The area of water inside the boat harbour would be 18J tion of necessary shelter at the two acres. . Mr Fryer’s report dealt with the quessites. He estimated the cost of transporting stone and building the breakwaters he considered necessary at Magazine Bay at £132,600. This estimate did not include provision for building boatsheds, landings, etc. Annual Charge of £10,276. Referring to the financial aspect of the proposal the engineer’s report stated that interest at 51 per cent and sinking fund at 2 per cent on £132,600 would mean an annual charge of £10,276 10s. The amount collected during the last financial year in fees for moorings in the inner harbour for about £SO boats was £77. Mr F. E. Sutton moved that the report be adopted. Mr R. T. M’Millan: Does that mean that the work wjll be put in hand? He was assured that it did not. Mr H. M. Chrystall considered that the matter should be discussed. There were points in the report with which he did not agree. It was decided to receive the report.