HARBOUR BOARD

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1932, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD

NORTH WALL AT HOKITIKA

SUGGESTIONS FOR REPAIR

The Hokitika Harbour Board met yesterday afternoon, there being present, Mos t,-; M. Houston, sew., (chairman), E. W. -Keenan, D. P. Stuart, N Warren, and the secretary (Mr R. Wild). Messrs Guimorsen, Nosworthy I’t.y., Ltd., wrote, enclosing £5 10s covering rent and exchange, and advising that they wished to cancel all stacking sites held by Gu-nnerson, Le Messiirier, Ltd, or by themselves.—Received. The Lands and Income, Tax Depot's- | meat wrote requesting names and ad-droase-s of persons or firms to whom the Board! had let contracts during the last year.—Tt- was reported that no contracts had been let. The Harbour Boards’ Association wrote asking if the, Hokitika Board had any points or suggestions that it considered should be provided for in the proposed legislation providing and a disqualification for voting purposes on account of non-payment of rates.— Received. The Marine Department circularised all Boards, requesting that reliable data concerning changing conditions iu the various harbours he compiled for the purpose of records.—Received. It was decided' that an additional 22s he paid to Mr Harvey in appreciation of his services in connection with the lighting on the main wall The signalman reported that, the channel over the bar was in good condition, there- being from 15 to 16 feet of water. On Friday, April 29th., some eleven feet of the. extreme end of tile -north wall broke off below the low water mark. The stay piles were a danger to navigation, hut these might- have to be removed. A new light would have to he installed to replace that broken last. Friday. Tlie action of Air Heena-n in authorising the cutting up of the, broken piles, which were a danger, by the unemployed was approved. The Marine Department, in reply to the Board’s letter in January, stated that the wall had been examined, and was of the opinion that something should be done. Ihe report submitted to the- Department was as follows“ The affected section of the wall was constructed in 1911 being mainly of rinm piles with iron hark park at sft. centres. The piling was in fair order, though the top waling I had gone over a considerable length, i and all the struts between the stay | piles and the main wall had now di-s- ---| appeared over a length of 365 ft. I The Department advised that there I appeared four methods of dealing I with the present situation: (1) pulling, ! back the wall into a fair alignment; cutting off top four feet of wall; ro- ' newing the top waling and putting in lone stmt between main wall and stay i piles. This was estimated to cost approximately £BOO, and would make the wall equivalent to a- half tide one; (2) pulling hack the wall and renewing the whole of the -strutting (system and top waling, that is, renewing all the timbers which have gone, eist-im-jated to cost £1500; (3) pulling back i find straightening the wall and tying it hack to the stay piles with old wire ropes, or renewing the worst Potions of the top waling, estimated to 'cost £400; (4) demolishing the end 365 feet with explosives, estimated to cost £2OO.

The Marine Engineer stated that nothing could be done within tlie financial resources- of the Hoard which would increase the ultimate life of the structure by more than a very few years. In addition to the work under review, all the other harbour structues which were built of wood were rapidly falling into decay, and to renew them would involve considerable cost during the next few yeans, and .such would be quite beyond the resources of the Hokitika float d <i> at pre tent constituted. The only boat using the port was the m.v. Gael. The question to be decided was whether the trade wa's sufficient to justify the Hoard expending further monies, or whether the harbour should bo gradually allowed to deteriorate, and the money the Board had in hand to be conserved. The Department considered that the pulling hack, straightening and tying back of the existing structure the more advisable course-. I nder present- conditions there was- no possibility of any Government assistance being granted towmrd 1 this work. " The matter was held over.