Cook Is. Ship Loss Grows

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31111, 14 July 1966, Page 3

Cook Is. Ship Loss Grows

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 13. The New Zealand Government’s trading vessel Moana Roa—which plies between New Zealand and the Cook Islands—made an annual working loss of £61,520 in the last financial year, compared with £41,369 in the previous year.

This is stated in the annual report of the Department of Island Territories tabled in Parliament today.

Fares on the Moana Roa dropped from £35,986 in the 1964- year to £34,774 in 1965- but freight revenue increased from £173,431 to £177,689. The report said the vessel—commissioned in 1960—provided the only regular surface link between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, and played a vital role in the economic development of the Cook Islands. “Owing to bad weather and frequency of calls to the outer islands, it was not possible to undertake more than 10 voyages,” it said. “After a review of the vessel’s operation in October, 1965, and subsequent discussions with the Cook Islands Government, if has been decided to reduce substantially the number of outer islands calls from May this year, and this policy will allow 11 voyages to be made each year. “Apart from the spreading of overhead charges, the advantages of more regular calls to Auckland and Rarotonga should improve freight and passenger earnings,” said the report. Ruapehu Licence A petition calling for revocation of licences to Ruapehu Alpine Lifts for operations on Mount Ruapehu has evoked no recommendation from the Parliamentary select commit tee which considered it. The petition, tabled last October 26 in the House, requested the

Minister and the Government to take action, “ in the public interest,” by revoking licences granted to Ruapehu Alpine Lifts for operation of a chairlift to, and a poma lift, on the national downhill area. Take-over Bids The Minister of Justice (Mr , Hanan) told Parliament today that the Government did not . intend to subject every takeover by one New Zealand . company of another to official examination. This would amount to an interference

that would be intolerable, he said. Municipal Monies Money received by a local authority in lieu of the provision of reserves on land subdivision may be spent on recreation purposes outside its district under an amendment to the Municipal Corporations Act he hoped to introduce this session, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Seath) told Mr N. J. King (Opp., Waitemata) in Parliament today.