NAPIER HARBOUR

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 16 November 1927, Page 5

NAPIER HARBOUR

COMMISSION’S REPORT PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT. LOCAL MEMBERS’ COMMENT. (Per Press Association). Parliament Buildings. Nov. 15. The report of the Royal Commission on harbour operations at Napier was laid on the table and ordered to be printed. Speaking to th© report, Mr J. Mason said the Commission had recommended that the Breakwater be not completed for at least ten or fifteen .year's. With that recommendation he was not in complete agreement. He thought the period stated was too long. Hawke’s Bay district was growing rapidly, and he felt that the extension of the Breakwater would be necessary before fifteen years In that event he hoped the Marine Department would raise no objection. Otherwise ho approved the report. The Napier district would now combine in harmony to carry out the scheme suggested by the Commission

“BEST INTERESTS OF NAPIER.”

(Special to “Tribune.”) Parliament Buildings, Nov. 16. On the presentation of the Napier Harbour Commission’s report, Mr J. Mason, member for Napier, congratulated the Government on setting up the Commission.

Mr Mason referred to the lengthy sitting of the Commission and the conclusions reached 1 , and said lie hoped that finality would now be reached. The findings of the Commisson. he hoped, would be regarded as in the best interests of Napier. If Napier was to expand, extensive reclamation must take place; that was necessary if the city was to have room to grow. An immense outlay would have to be made for a harbour scheme at Napier, whatever it was, and there was no doubt that money would be saved to the harbour district if the recommendations of the Commission were adopted. The Commission might have fixed- too long a period for the completion of the Breakwater, but he had np doubt that, if necessary, the Marine Department would arange fpr a shorter period. SIR GEORGE HUNTER PLEASED. Sir George Hunter, member for Waipawa, expressed pleasure at the report and noped that all parties would accept it in its entirety, The controversy had gone on for many years, but he hoped that from now on there would be unanimity on the subject A WORD FOR THE INNER HARBOUR. Mr H. M. Campbell, member for Hawke’s Bay. considered the judgment of the Commission was wrong. There was a necessity, however, for expansion. A landlocked Inner Harbour would be safe, but it was doubtful whether the Breakwater would stand for long. He felt sure that an Inner Harbour would later on ne necessary. Napier would one day become the first exporting port of the Dominion. THE MINISTER S REPLY. The Minister of Marine (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) said that no sane captain would take a ship into the harbour suggested by Mr Campbell and those who advocated the scheme. He supported reclamation, which would have to be made eventually. Although he. as Minister, had been damned by the press and public men in the district, he believed that the report of the Commission would eventually be found to be in the interests of the district, and he hoped that all parties would accept it.