Canal Schemes Revived in Auckland

Chronicle (Levin), 15 November 1949, Page 7

Canal Schemes Revived in Auckland

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AUCKLAND, Nov. 12. Clogely linked with. the upper harbour development projeet, a suggestion that canals should be opened from. the Whau R-iver to the Manakau Harbour and, from Waiuku to the Waikato- Biver waSmaacfe by t'he chairman of th'e •AuCk|and: HarbOur Board, Mr. W.F. McCallum, to Sir William Halero#' and Mr;* J. 'P. Thomas, th'e! Ivondoii ^transort ekperts, during— their recent visit to Auckland. • ;"Jn my opinion it may be afhjisa.ble. hgaln to open/the' chnal questionf'' salxd' Mr. McCallum yesterday. "The two canals would provide more than 120 miles of waterway for barges Teaching frbm Aubklahd to - Cambridge.' Produce could be brought down-river from the Waikato and, imports sent baek. ' "I drew the attention of Sir William Halcrow and Mr. Thomas to the possibility of water carriage as a means of easing congestion of road transport," said Mr. McCallum. "Naturally, I am more interested in water carriage than in road transport. The canals must come within the next 50 years." The Whau River enters the Waitemata Harbour in the centre of the Harbour Board's proposed upper harbour port. ~ .. n . * a ti „ li

Kcnemes xor tne consrruci,ion oi j barge canals iinking the Waitemata and Manakau Harbours have been discussed for many years. In 1860 a report was prepared for the Auckland Provineial Council on a canal across the Tamaki Isthmus at Otahuhu. In 1887 a repOrt was made on both the Tamaki and Whau routes. Early this century a Waitemata and Manakau Canal Proraotion Company was formed to collect addition information. In 1913 a Royal commission considered Iinking the Manakau Harbour "with the Waikato River with a canl at Waiuku. It was believed that this and another canal giving aecess to the Waitemata would provide cheap water . transport between the Waikato and Auckland. The inquiry was interrupted by the the Pirst World War, but a second commission in 1920 reported in favour of the Tamaki as against the Whau sclieme and considered it was feasible to construct a canal or barge railway at Waiuku.