HARBOUR BRIDGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 753, 28 August 1929, Page 10

HARBOUR BRIDGE

BOARD DISAPPROVES OF ASSOCIATION’S MOVE PERSONNEL OF COMMISSION -That the board disapproves of the commission suggested by the Bridge Association as not possessing the necessary qualifications for determining such a vital harbour question.” This is part of a resolution passed at a special meeting; of the Auckland Harbour Board held yesterday, when the question of the V.'aitemata Harbour Bridge was discussed. The resolution added that the board was definitely of opinion that the commission should include an indepen- ’ dent engineer such as the cnlef ’ engineer of the Public Works Department, a nautical expert such as the harbourmaster at Sydney, and a harbour engineer of standing. Copies of the resolution and a report submitted by the board’s chair- 1 man, Mr. M. H. Wynyard, are to be forwarded to the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, members of the Cabinet, j and Auckland members of Parliament. ASSOCIATION S CHOICE Mr. Wynyard reported that a deputation from the Harbour Bridge Association waited on the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, last Thursday, and suggested as i members of the commission Mr. Justice Blair, as chairman, Mr. J. W. Mawson, director of TownPlanning, Mr. Ebenezer Allan, of : Buckland, as Government represen- | tative, and a technical officer of the Public Works Department. While urging that the personnel should be announced at an early date, the depu- j tation asked that sittings should not commence until boring* at selected points had been taken. “I interviewed Mr. F. W. Furkert. ! Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department, last week and copies of i various resolutions passed by the ; | board have been sent to him. and to , the Ministers of Public Works and Marine,” continued Mr. Wynyard’s re- ; port. “The names suggested by the asi sociation do not comply with the board's resolutions, and I cannot conceive of the personnel being fixed by Cabinet until the board has been consulted. NEED FOR CAUTION “Another question is whether the borings should be made until the commission has defined an area within which, or alternative sites on which the bridge might be built. To spend money on the original site suggested by the association would prove wasted money if the commission did not approve it, and that applies to any site which may be bored before the hearing. “I think it should be suggested that the first business of the commission should be to decide whether there is need of a bridge, and, if that is agreed, to define the type, clearance and general nature, and to state alternative sites within a determined section of ! the harbour. It could then estimate ■ the cost of the bridge for the general purpose of economic consideration. Regarding the personnel of the commission, the chairman said he thought that the board should make a strong appeal to the Gov- j ernment for substantial representation on the commission, in terms of its resolutions. It had to be remembered that a sub- ; stantial structure like a large concrete bridge spanning the harbour was an immutable limitation. The progress and future necessities of the port i could not be gauged accurately, and an ample margin had to be left above any present estimates. The rapid growth during the last 60 years made i hard to forecast the requirements | of the future, when the population, imports and exports of the province j would be many times greater. It was therefore, the duty of the board to em : sure that the location and design of the bridge v, ould not block port devel- . opments. I recommend that strong representations should be made to members of the Cabinet and Auckland members of Parliament in order to make certain that the commission complies with the board’s resolutions,” Mr. Wynvard added. “We should also ask that the board should be consulted as to the personnel before the appointment of i a commission.” The resolution was then passed.