A GREAT WATERWAY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 8, 10 January 1929, Page 2

A GREAT WATERWAY

AUSTRALIA’S MURRAY

SCHEME FOR DEEP-SEA PORT tiTDNEIj Dec. 30. There has been renewed interest of late in Admiral Sir William Cress well’s scheme for a port at the mouth of ‘he River Murray in order that full alvantuge may be taken of this great waterway. The Murray has a navigable length, with, its tributaries, oi 300 U miles, and serves an immense urea of Eastern Australia to the benelit of three States —New South Wales, Victoria and, particularly, South Austrian. For various reasons, including die competition of road and rail transport, this immense potential system of ttic cheapest transport in the world is .ui yet available to a country that is crying out for cheap transport. No other country with such a great length of navigable waters would fa>.i to provide an outlet to the sea, and it is certainly a reflection on the efficiency of Australia that nothing has yet been don G in this connection as far as thc Murray is concerned. Other countries, such as America with ns Mississippi, France with its Rhone, with its Nile; Austria and a string of Balkan countries with the Danube, are utilising lheir immense river systems and canals to the utmo$ r . It is pointed out that river trallic the Mississippi has increased 300 per cent, in recent years, a fact that is not surprising when it is remembered that river traffic is carried at the rate of about a farthing a ton per mile. Difficulties and Outlay And so it is that thc Murray, without a direct navigable outlet to the sea, is failing to do Us duty to Austrahi. Hitherto the great cost of constructing a port at the river mouth, the immense engineering difficulties and the uncertainty of ultimate success have i-j--terred the Governments concerned from undertaking thc construction of a Muiray port. Admiral Crcsswell, howcvci, claims that if his scheme is adopted the whole problem will be solved vn the most economical and efficient lines. Previous schemes for a Murray port have been directed toward works tu undertaken in thc vicinity of Goolwa, where the Murray debouches into die sea across a bar that is generally obstructed by a raging surf. The admiral proposes another route altogether, aud would construct a canal 90 miles long, running parallel with the shore until it reaches Lacepede Bay. Lacepcde Bay is one of the marine curiosities of the world. Though an open roadstead, and, presumably, therefore, exposed to gales, it affords safe anchorage in all weathers, there being tolerably smooth water even when a westerly gale is blowing right into th? bay. The admiral states that although the gale blows home to the shore there is no swell whatever for miles to seaward, and he attributes this strange calm to "the gradual slope of the seibed and to vast forests of kelp which reach the surface even in 120 ft. of water. The canal would follow the course of the Coorong River, which itself i* navigable for 40 miles. If the remai iing 50 miles were dredged to a dep’h of 10ft. or lift., and a cutting made to the open roadstead of LaccpcJe Bay, nothing further would remain to be done to give access to deep-sea ships for the whole of thc Murray River transport service. Arguments for the Scheme. It is contended that the scheme is simplicity itself, and deals with conditions that are settled and permanent. It involves no disturbance of natural conditions, no costly breakwaters, aol no extensive port works. Admiral Cresswell says he believes that Lae?Jicde Bay is so calm that the rivoi

steamers would be able to lie alongside the ocean liners in the bay, and if this were not always feasible he sug gests the use, for loading purposes, of an aerial ropeway with a capacity of 500 tons an hour. It is further emphasised that no piloting system would be required at the bay ami no expensive lighting, ari'i that loading could be carried out night and day in all weathers, except, or course, when it was raining hard. Remarkable confirmation ' f these conditions is given by the fact that in pr' railway clays wheat ships wore loaded at Lacepede Bay by small, open, sailing lighters, and that the bay itself is a well-known shelter for small boars which run into its calms during heavy gales,