ONEKAKA ORE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 August 1938, Page 5

ONEKAKA ORE

ESTIMATES OF QUANTITY PERHAPS EXCESSIVE STATEMENT BY MINISTER AN EXHAUSTIVE SURVEY (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, August 23. “At the moment it looks as if Mr Mackintosh Bell’s estimates of the extent .of the ore deposits were excessive,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon D. G. Sullivan, when asked today to comment on a report indicating that the available ore deposits at Onekaka; where it is proposed to establish State iron and steel works, are well below the original estimates. It will be many months, according to the Minister, before any definite estimate can be made of the extent of the ore deposits; The report referred to the. Minister was published in the Motueka “StarTimes” and said: “Although no official announcement can yet be made in respect ■to the density of the Onekaka iron ore deposits, it is understood that tests recently carried out in Wellington disclosed a much more satisfactory position than was anticipated a few weeks ago. It was then reported that tunnelling operations had not brought the results expected, and that the Onekaka iron deposits were yet to be proved. From inquiries made it appears that the ore deposits at Onekaka are of a somewhat scattered nature, but on the Parapara block they are very much better. From what can be learned it is believed that the rough estimate of 68,000,000 tons of iron ore previously made is very wide of the mark, and even a third of that quantity would perhaps be rather an optimistic estimate.”

This report was submitted to Mr Sullivan, who said: “It is as yet too early to draw definite conclusions. The work of investigation is proceeding as rapidly as possible, and it is probable that many months will elapse before anything definite can be said as to the extent of the deposits. At the moment it looks as if Mr Mackintosh Bell’s estimates were excessive, but exploratory work has not been carried sufficiently far to warrant me saying more at this stage.” Reports of the geological survey made when Mr James Mackintosh Bell was director were those on which the Government based its estimates in deciding to launch a State iron and steel industry at Onekaka as outlined in the Iron and Steel Industry Bill passed in the short session of Parliament this year. Until the present surveys now being undertaken over the whole area, the details supplied in those reports were the only reliable official data available which could indicate the likely reserve supplies of ore in the three ore-bearing areas. At present more than 100 men are working two shifts daily in carrying out an exhaustive survey over the area to prove it thoroughly. Nine tunnels are being driven at intervals into the Onekaka block on the site of the old quarries along contour lines and a similar scheme is being undertaken at Parapara, a few miles to the seaward. Once tracks are opened up, an extensive adjacent area will be surveyed and tunnelled for the first time.