Mr Gibbons Could Be Right

There has been scarcely a meeting of the Nelson Harbour Board in recent months at which board member Mr Bill Gibbons has not made the headlines for his views on various policies of the board. At one he complained bitterly that "lay" members of the board would not listen to his professional advice in matters regarding major board works and more recently he has suggested that the board should let more tenders to contractors for major works and to stockpile shingle dredged in the harbour for use as hard filling, even selling some of this. At the moment this hard filling, in very short supply and expensive, is being dumped out at sea after dredging. Sad to say, we believe that Mr Gibbons's advice is being ignored, and that we have yet to have proof that he is wrong in his other two suggestions. So recently we took a ramble around the reclamation to record these pix. We use them to illustrate some of Mr Gibbons's views.

The unfinished Kingsford Quay is now due for completion in March next year-two years behind schedule. Why? Because the board staff handling the job was diverted to erect the wharves for Sea Products and Nelson Fisheries, as well as extending McGlashen Quay, building the small boat slip, the big boat slip and the small boat ramp. All these are projects which the board could have let to contractors at a time when tenders for such work were very realistic indeed. The board's staff has done a great job, but it can only accomplish so much at a time.

At left is the old pile driver which has given great service to the board. The pontoons are in bad shape and there is a distinct possibility that she could sink again before the Kingsford Quay work is completed. So much depends on her if the March completion date is to be accomplished.

The big slipway to take small coastal vessels is still a long way off completion. At top left of the picture is a completed section of Kingsford Quay. The board is to make another survey, in the light of shipping available to use it, to see if its completion is warranted.

Many and profane have been the remarks of small boat owners when commenting on the boat ramp being built at the small boat harbour. A correspondent to "Photo News" was assured in March, 1968, that the new ramp would be commenced in two or three months. A year has gone by and it is not completed yet and in the meantime several small boats have been holed or damaged on the sheet piling at the bottom of the ramp.
The last suggestion of Mr Gibbons, regarding the hard filling dredged from the harbour, is also an interesting one, especially since the board is bringing hard filling all the way from Wakapuaka by truck for filling at the Kingsford Quay at a cost of $1.10 a yard. These matters brought forward by Mr Gibbons warrant very serious consideration by the board.

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The Nelson Photo News

No 101 : April 5, 1969

Mr Gibbons Could Be Right