NORTHERN COALFIELDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 772, 19 September 1929, Page 7

NORTHERN COALFIELDS

INACTIVITY AT KAWAKAWA MINING AT KIRIPAKA From Our Own Correspondent WHANG ARE I, Wednesday. Prospects for the development of the coalfield at Kawakawa appear for the time to be dim. A good workable seam was discovered a little distance out of town, toward Ruapekapeka. and adjacent to the new Government road. For a time the mine was successfully worked on the co-operative system by a band of miners, who supplied, among other places, the Auckland Freezing Company’s works at Moerewa. A suggestion was made that hoppers be established at Opua for bunkering overseas vessels loading meat. This aspect was exploited by the Bay of Islands Harbour Board, which had in view the future possibilities of Opua as a bunkering port. However, about a year ago supplies from Kawakawa stopped and this is said partly to account for i the dissension among employees. The industry in the North next received a severe blow by the death of Mr. Hall, chairman of the company which had been formed. At present there is no activity on the field. Coal is being worked in payable quantities at Kiripaka, where two small parties are operating. A prospector is now occupied in an endeavour to locate the main seam. When the Public Works Department has completed the road to Ngunguru, upon which work commenced this week, it should be possible to lessen transportation costs of both fire-clay and coal from Kiripaka. A number of miners from the Whangarei district is also engaged at Avoca, Northern Wairoa, where considerable success has been met with. While the Hikurangi Coal Company’s mine remains flooded there is a good deal of unemployment in the industry j locally, but Wilson’s Collieries provided work for a number of men. who divide ; what is offering among themselves.