Plans For Improving West Coast Ports

Chronicle (Levin), 1 December 1948, Page 7

Plans For Improving West Coast Ports

Press AssociationJ

(Per

WELLINGTON, Nov. 30. . Fifiality lias now been reached 011 the policy for the impi'ovement of the harbouL's at Westport and Greymouth, said the Minister of Marine, Mr. Hackett, today. He said Cabinet after considering the reports of English and New Zealand engineers who exantined these harbours, had agreed on the improvements to be yarried out. All the engineers ' reports indicated that it was not practieable to establish one deep sea port 011 the West Coast to serve all purpqses. r|?he recommendations for botii Greymouth and Westport agreed on> lirstly, the dredging of the tidai compartments; secondiy, the narrowing of the entranees by vertical pijing inside the nioles; and, thirdly, deiinitely no extension to existing breaiiwaters in the meantime. The work considered of primary importance at Westport is the dredging of the tidai compartments to three reet below low water in order to improve the scour on the bar. When this dredging of the tidai compartment is compieted — and plans are being pre pared for a new dredge to continue dredging the bar — vertical piling inside the existing entrance will be undertaken. ' At Greymouth a vertical wall will be built 011 the south side of the entrance, for a length of 225 feet within the present entrance. Cabinet had already approved a vote of £33,000 for this work. Other improvemeuts will include the realignment of the cliannel of the river above Cobden bridge to give better flood conditions from this ponrt seaward. Mr. Hacketi said he hoped the im provements 110 u agreed on would give the coastal llect ingress and cgress at all times to these -ports.