DREDGE MISHAP INQUIRY FINDING

Grey River Argus, 15 April 1948, Page 4

DREDGE MISHAP INQUIRY FINDING

New Lagoon Bridge Decided on A sub-committee earlier set up to go into tiie circumstances surrounding the mishap to th e bucket-dredge Mawhera, Messrs F. Williams (chairman) W. E. J. Steer, W. E. Pring, and Mr D. S. Kenned” (harbour engineer), last evening reported to the Greymouth Harbour Board as follows:- — According tej the statements of th:.' board’s officers, no one was in charge of the dredge from the time of Captain Entwhistle’s resignation to the time- of the break-away. The committee considers that the harbourmaster should have automatically taken charge of the mooring of the dredge, after the dredgemastec s resignation, or should have advised the board that there was no one in charge, and that he would not accept responsibility. It was considered that the breakaway was caused by the heav.y surge in the river on the night in question and that the moorings on the dredge were insufficient.

It was considered that all necessary steps were taken to tie the dredge up aftex’ the breakaway. Steps to be taken in future to prevent a recurrence of such a mishap have been recommended as follows: (1) That, in the meantime the dredge be moored with longer lines and that suitable mooring springs be obtained. If monarch mooring lines ar© not available then coir springs should be obtained. (2) That the present footbridge to Blaketown be demolished and a new footbridge be erected further up the lagoon; the beaching basin to be dredged and the Mawhera moored at' approximately the position of the present footbridge; the engineer to be asked to report on these proposals. (3) That a schedule be drawn up setting out the duties of the harbourmaster, deputy harbour master, and wharf hands.

(4) That one of the dredge anchors should be cock-bitted —that is snowed in such a way that it can be let go by hand. It was decided that the harbourmaster assume responsibility fox’ the dredge and for any necessary dredging until next meeting, the question of the apnointment of a dredgemastex’ be referred to the board tor consideration. The committee considei’ that the following two questions require fxxx’ther inquiry:— (1) Was the harbour master informed of the breakaway, and. if so, at what time. (2) Who informed the harboui’ master that the pile at the end of the wharf was defective.

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In reply to the first question which was put to him by the chairman of the sub-committee, Captain ' Moar said that he was not informed of the mishap until the morning after it. He was told about the pile on the day of the accident, and he took it for granted that his information was correct.

After discussion, the harbour mastex- was appointed master of the dredge, his salary to be adjusted at a later date.