DEEP WATER HARBOUR NOT JUSTIFIED

Chronicle (Levin), 17 August 1946, Page 5

DEEP WATER HARBOUR NOT JUSTIFIED

— Press A RRnr.in.t.i.nn

BRITISH ENGINEERS REPORT ON WEST COAST

Bv Telearavh-

WELLINGTON, August 16. That tlie enormous expense entailed in constructlng an all-weather deepwater harhour on the West Coast, was not justified because of tlie dilficult and bad CQilditioiis ahd insuffic-ient potential commerce behind the harbour, was the opinion of tfie two British consulting engineers, Messrs E. J. Buckton and A. .). Clark, who have returned to Wellington after making a survey of the harbours at Greymoutli and Westport. The inspection by the engineers occupied a month. An examination ivas made of all pussibiliti.es from Okarito to Karamea. The matter of the bar difliculty at Greymouth and Westport had become one of urgency, said an oiiicial of the Works Deparlment today, since coal reserves in the North Island had become exhausted and the free and speedy transport of coal from the West Coast was essential to vital industry. Several possibilities in particular had been investigated by the engineers, he said. One was Point Elizabeth, a place at which the Admiralty in the days of coal ships in the tLeet, had spent a lot of money in 1907. Anotlier proposal was at Lake Mahinapua which, it had been suggested, should be connected to the sea l>y a cut made through sand, instead of using the river. Charleston was examined by Imperial Chemical Industries just before the war but it was held that to make it wortliwhile,. 30,000,000 tons of coal would have to be available. The Works Departnxent oiiicial said that though the coal was not of good quality, there was about 17,000,000 tons suitable to be dug by the opencast method. Karamea and Little Wanganui were also inspected though not with the idea of making use of tliem as against Greymouth and Westport but to assess the possibilities. The two engineers went into the whole problem just as thoroughly as two men could possibly do in the time, said the oflieial, and saw the harbour I'onditions at their worst with tioods, ships barbound and with heavy rain. The great difliculty along the whole sf the coast was the drift of shingle, said Mr. Buckton. This made it very lard to keep the best depth at the xarbour entrances. -While they were in the South Island he engineers made short visits to lyttelton and Nelson for whiek ports

they are to furnish reports as well as for the West Coast. The engineers will leave Wellington for Auckland on Monday and from where they will fly (o Anstralia to advise on a port there before returning to England.