RECONSTRUCTION OF WHARF

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28266, 2 May 1957, Page 8

RECONSTRUCTION OF WHARF

“ Money Wasted ” By Rail Alterations

A few months after its official opening, No. 7 wharf at Lyttelton has been opened up for the installation of railway cross-overs. A Lyttelton member, Mr W. B. Laing, said at yesterday’s meeting of the Harbour Board that the work was a bad waste of money and labour.

Someone had blundered, said Mr Laing. To rip up the wharf six or seven months after it was opened was just a waste of money and labour. The men could be used on the eastern end of the Gladstone Pier instead of doing this job. “I would like to know who is paying for it—the Harbour Board or the people at fault for the crossing not being put in the first place?” said Mr Laing. “You don’t need to be an architect to know that the crossing could have been put in at very little expense when the wharf was built. The wharf has four roads on each side; others have only three roads. If four roads could not serve overseas ships, I don’t know what you are going to do. I have seen no delay in the shunting of trucks, because you have the diamond crossing at either end.” The chairman (Mr W. P. Glue) said he had the whole facts of events all along; but the engineer-in-chief (Mr J. A. Cashin) might be a little more emphatic than he would be in explaining them. x Not Board’s Expense

“There is no need to be emphatic,” said Mr Cashin. The lay-out of the railway was proposed by the Railways Department and the shipping interests, but, presumably, the board went ahead with the construction too quickly and was asked to change its mind. The reply was: “Yes, at your expense.” The expense had become greater and greater. None was being met by the board.

Mr Laing; It is still public money.

“The shipping companies and the Railways Department did not know their own minds,” remarked the secretary (Mr A. L. Burk).