WELLINGTON'S STATION

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 8, 5 October 1920, Page 8

WELLINGTON'S STATION

WHERE THE NEGOTIATIONS STAND ANOTHER CONFERENCE REQUIRED "NO AVOIDABLE DELAY" "Will the Prime Mitaister inform the House what the position really is with regard to the new railway station at Wellington, and who is to carry out the work, and when?" asked Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) in the House of Representatives. "In October, 1918, a conference between representatives of tho City Council, the Harbour Board, and the Railway Department discussed tlie proposals and plans for the laying-out of tho new Station," said Mr. Massey in reply. "These plans included what is known as the greater reclamation scheme. The 1914 scheme had for its object tho provision of facilities to meet the immediate railway . requirements, with tho reservation of an area further to seaward to be ultimately reclaimed and utilised for railway purposes when the development of railway traffic made such a step ne- , cessary. It was subsequently decided that it would be better to complete the whole of- the reclamation at the outset so as to fit fa with works contemplated bv the Harbour Board. "The scheme provides for reclamation of G5 acres, of which 50 acres are to be reserved for railway purposes, about five acres for roads, and ten acres for the Harbour Board. The esplanade area of about six and a half acres will bo absorbed. . The level crossings at Davis Street and the .north end are to be replaced by overbridges with graded approaches, or in the alternative by subwavs if found practicable. The proposals generally shovp on the plan were regnrded as befog the best that could be made It was recognised that the boundary decided on for tho railway' would practically fix the ultimate limit of land available' for railway purposes for the future, as on the landward side the railway would be bounded by the main city thoioughfares and on the seaward 6ide bv wharves and sheds v erected by the Haibour Board, and the railway yards could not therefore be extended in either tho land or seaward directions. "It was suggested at tho conference that as the Harbour Board's engineer had berm tent to America for the purpose of studying the methods adopted there for the working of wharves and labour-saving applianctys it was desirable that he should have an opportunity of studying the proposed scheme on his return, and; the result would be communicated to the' Department as it applied to the methods the board proposed to adopt concerning cargo. Subsequently, through a _ misunderstanding, a conference whicli ;t was intended should be held the Railwavand Harbour Board Engineers, to further discuss scheme did not take place. This is now being arranged. So far :as the' construction of the railway station is concerned, this will be done by the Railway Department, and the retaining-wall and reclamation will be done 'by arranghment between the Harliour Board and the Railway Department, the cost being borne by the interested parties on terms to be mutually agreed upon. The work will be commenced at the earliest possible date, but having regard to the extreme difficulties experienced in respcct of both men and material it is not practicable to fix a date. There will, however, bo no avoidable delhy." _____