OFFENDING ROCK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 47, 8 February 1944, Page 5

OFFENDING ROCK

ON WHAKATANE BAR

HARBOUR BOARD'S LITTLE JOB

There is a forty loot ridge of rock showing up in the centre of the Whakatane harbour bar and the general manager of the Northern Steamship Company lias written the Harbour Board in righteous wrath requesting immediate removal. Now a forty foot ridge oi rock is no small things to remove and the 3oard while sympathetic ('like its ittitude towards the St. John apical) desire to know more of the ns and outs. Said the Northern S.S; Go's let;er: On Saturday the 15th January ;he rock was plainly visible to the Master of the "Clansman" and the Harbourmaster. Soundings were talc:mi and it was found that there was 3nlv 9ft Gin of water on the rock L ind lift of water on either side of it. On neap tides especially in the summer months when there is little rt-ater in the river, and the boats rery often have to work the bar with only 7ft of water, the rock is a serious menace to the company's ships. The harbourmaster's report on the said rock, intimated that it had always been there and. made its; appearance during periods of heavy scours. As a rule however it was eevered with sand to a depth of at least two feet. He did not consider tire rick to be of any dange™. The chairman remarked that the rock must have been there ever since, trading vessels worked the port and therefore could not be of any great, danger. The secretary agreed in answer to a question that to attempt to blast it away would be a costly business owing to the men on the job being only able to work two hours a day at low tide, for which they would have to be paid full time. Tt was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the chairman with power to act following an inspection and investigation by the engineer.