TUNNEL ROAD PLANS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 16

TUNNEL ROAD PLANS

COMMITTEE CAN NOW “FORCE THE ISSUE” REPORT TO PROGRESS LEAGUE When the . Canterbury Progress League held its annual meeting yesterday it supported the Lyttelton Harbour Board’s decision to frame legislation for a harbour extension scheme. Giving a short report on the board’s plans for enlarging the harbour, the retiring president (Mr W. S. MacGibbon), who is a member of the board, said that the Tunnel Road Promotion Committee could now go ahead and force the issue of getting a tunnel road. “ I know the league will give its support to this long overdue project of giving better access to the main gateway to the South Island,” he said. The league must do all it could to see that the South Island received its fair share of distribution of public funds for public works. Later at the meeting Mr Mac Gibbon asked members to begin a propaganda campaign for the Lyttelton harbour improvements project, which would return many-fold to Canterbury whatever it cost. Any persons who complained about increased rating should be reminded that these extensions represented something that had to be bought for Canterbury and could only be bought by rating. The enlargement of the harbour would be of a great benefit to the present generation and to those who followed, he said. “In the early days of Canterbury 10,000 people decided to have a tunnel through to Lyttelton for better access to the port and they raised an over-draft-r-in many ways they sold their birthright. If those people had the foresight to carry out this project in the early days, do not let it be said that the second generation of Canterbury has not the foresight to carry out the harbour improvements scheme,” Mr Mac Gibbon said. “I am delighted to hear what Mr Mac Gibbon reports from the harbour board meeting this morning,” said Mr W. Machin. The league had been “on the job” in the matter of harbour improvements and the tunnel road scheme for many years, and, it had been a wearisome business.

“I think it is good that the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce is right behind us on the tunnel road scheme and better access to the wharves at Lyttelton,” he added. If organisations remained united more would be achieved. Canterbury had too often “missed the bus” because of divided opinion, he said. “We must have better access to the wharves if we are going to increase trade; we must have a tunnel road and better facilities on the wharves. It is our job, as a league, to push this matter right through while public opinion is favourable,” Mr Machin said.