CHIEFLY ABOUT THE HARBOUR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 99, 22 September 1950, Page 5

CHIEFLY ABOUT THE HARBOUR

Sir, —You are taken to task by “Old Timer,” Galatea, who considers you give too much space* to the Tauranga Harbour. Personally, I think you have at last put a little intelligence into the Beacon, in that after the last County Council meeting you reported ratepayers could get some idea of what was going on in the County. Your report on the Tauranga conference, held at the end of August,

was very short. I have two Tauranga papers before me reporting this conference. It is interesting to note the local bodies represented at that meeting. Tauranga Harbour Board, Borough Council and County Council, Mt. Maunganui Borough Council, Te Puke Borough, Opotiki Borough and County Councils, Rotorua Borough and County Councils, Te Aroha Borough Council, Waihi Borough Council, Piako County Council, Matamata County Council, Ohinemuri County Council, Putaruru Borough Council. These representatives all agreed that, “We are a primary producing country and know that the world is crying out for food.” Also timber should be a secondary consideration in deciding the location of the port for Bay of Plenty. Mr Alach gave some very interesting figures at this conference, the debts of the east coast ports, two of which I give here as taken from the Bay of Plenty Times 2/9/50: Whakatane £63,666, Tauranga £21,000. I have never heard What will become of the Whakatane debt if the harbour did come here, would it be thought too insignificant to worry about the bigger proposition spoken of in millions. e The area that the Whakatane harbour would benefit for shipping timber, as reported in the Beacon when the present discussion started, was 323,423 acres. The Bay of Plenty Times says: “The meeting called by the Tauranga Harbour Board did much to inform the public mind" as to the magnitude of the issues involved. It established beyond reasonable doubt that a considerable area of the North Island extending 60 or more miles inland from the 200 miles sweep of coast line lying between Mercury Bay and Cape Runaway would benefit. Much more I could quote from these papers but space forbids. New Zealand could do with more harbours and will have them in the course of events. For secondary industries, yes certainly when the population has reached 10,000,000, a harbour for export of timber from are afforested areas where botanical science can guarantee- no pests such as borer. I am not writing with any prejudice or ill will against any ’ of the advocates of the scheme for a harbour at Whakatane. I congratulate the board’s engineer, Mr Brebner, on the workmanship put into his plans, but I do hold to the idea that Tauranga is the best situated to help primary products that will assist a hungry people. Yours etc., C. R. J. RELF,. Manawahe, September 18.