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It seems desirable here to consider by whom these matters
have been controlled in the past and what, if any, advantage would
accrue to the persons and interests dependent on the Port if control
were to be handed over to a Port Trust.
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(1) The leasing or letting of piers has been effected, on the
application of interested parties, by Government on the advice of
the Director of Public Works. The Land Officer was responsible for
the issue of the leases.
Unless the Crown is prepared to hand over to the Port Trust
's foreshore rights in general or any such foreshore rights as the
Trust might call for, the present procedure would have to be adhered to.
That the form of lease requires revision is undeniable.
(2) The construction of new piers as and when necessary has (with the exception of piers required for Government use) generally been left
to private enterprise. When piers were required for the vehicular ferry
the work was undertaken by Government.
There is no evidence before the Committee that private
enterprise and Government between them have failed to make actual
provision of piers, but it is abundantly clear that, for a variety of
reasons, some of those constructed and operated by minor private
interests had been allowed to fall into decay.
There seems to be no good reason why private enterprise and
Government between them should not in the future construct and
maintain all necessary piers once a general plan of development is
agreed upon and a policy is settled which would give the lessees
security of tenure.
necessary.
For this the interposition of a Port Trust does not seem
(3) The provision of navigational lights and buys and mooring
bucys has been undertaken in the past by the Harbour Department and no
suggestion has been made as to inadequacy of this provision.
The charges have been fixed by Government, on the advice of the
Harbour Department, and no suggestion has been made that these were
excessive.