Port pilotage views differ

Press, 7 April 1979, Page 11

Port pilotage views differ

Only the Minister of | harbour boards by Mr Transport and not the Jones,” said Captain BarDirector of the Marine Divi- bour. sion could waive pilotage Mr Laing also asked if the regulations at a port such as board would reply to Mr Lyttelton, where pilotage Jones about his advice sugwas compulsory, said the gesting a waiving of reguHarbourmaster (Captain J. lations.

A. Barbour). I Captain Barbour had been asked at a meeting of the Harbour Board to comment on a report in “The Press” of March 31 that the director of the Marine Division (Mr H. M. D. Jones) had suggested waiving pilotage regulations for foreign fishing trawlers. A board member, Mr L. W. Laing, said he was disturbed by the implications of Mr Jones’s suggestion, and asked Captain Barbour how it would apply to Lyttelton harbour regulations. (Mi Jones said the Ministry would concur with the trawlers being led in rather than boarded by pilots, as was done at Wellington.) “I do not concur with the letter reported and sent to

“It is all very well referring to Wellington, which is a port with a much bigger area, but we have to consider our liability at Lyttelton which is a compulsory pilotage port.” said Mr Laing. Captain Barbour: I would be at fault as Harbourmaster if I waived the regulations for which I am responsible for administering. The board’s chairman (Mr J. E. Mannering) said the matter would be taken up with Mr Jones by the board’s general manager (Mr J. A. McPhail). Mr J. F. Davidson: I would like to know on whose authority Mr Jones issued the letter and for what reason.