OKARITO HARBOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1933, Page 2

OKARITO HARBOUR

PLAN OF WORKS. The following correspondence has been received by the Westland County Council in respect to the works to be undertaken at Okarito:— Copy of telegram from Secretary Marine to County Chairman, Hokitika. Wellington, 30th May, 1933:—“Am directed by the Minister of Marine in reply of your telegram of the 26th, to state that the question of expediting finality of plans of harbour works rests with the company who have not yet submitted complete proposals.” The following is the text oi a letter from the South Westland Estates, Auckland, to the County Chairman (Mr Win. Jeffries): — “I have to acknowledge receipt oi your night letter of the 30th ultimo a* follows:—“Okarito erosion again becoming acute, Marine Department states delay due to absence oi your proposal and plan. (Please expedite and- advise as to position.” “While regretting very much to hear that erosion at Okarito has again become acute, I wish to place on recorci the lact that this Company is in no way to blame for the extreme delay which has taken place in regard to the gazetting of the Order-in-Council, by which the poi-t Would be handed over td this Company,

“The position is that the Cotnpany, some time agO, submitted plans and specifications of what was proposed to be done at Okarito. After holding these for the ■ best part of two j months, the Marine Department informed us that they would require modification in certain respects. We immediately agreed to fall in with these modifications and carry out the work in any manner which the Government suggested. Again, after a long dtlay, we wert informed that a registered engineer would have to draw up new plans which they would examine, and, if approved, pass. Naturally a registered engineer is not going to sign plans without making a full investigation so that his own name may be guarded. “It is most unfair for the Marine Department to say that absence of plans ha s held the matter up. Had they told us this three months ago, the plana would have been prepared then. However, our engineer is at work on these plans now and I understand that everything should be finalised within the next week or two.

“It may say that even at this late stage the question has been raised as to how the Company proposes to deal with the fact that the tide runs in at Okarito for 5 hours in comparison with an outflow of 7 hours. What .this lias to do with the building of a port at Okarito, I do not know, but apparently the Department wishes to ascertain that this point has been considered. You may rest assured that we are doing everything possible to "push the matte?ahead, but in view of the difficulties which have arisen in the past, the Company definitely will not incur any further expenditure until all the plans are passed and the harbour definitely in the company.”