CO129-540-7 Dredging of Hong Kong Harbour 26-4-1932 - 1-10-1932 — Page 52

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will be responsible for an equivalent deepening immediately in front of their piers.

(4) The Admiralty have informed the Committee that they were contemplating the dredging for their own purposes to depths of from 26 to 32 feet of a portion of the harbour to the north of the area coloured blue on the accompanying chart, through which lies the approach to the Naval Coaling Station, and they have suggested that it would be to the obvious advantage, both of the Admiralty and the Hong Kong Port Authority, if the two dredging propositions were combined and the work undertaken as a single scheme. The Committee have ascertained from the Admiralty that if the Hong Kong Government decide to proceed with their dredging scheme, the Admiralty would ask that they should undertake also the dredging on Admiralty account, it being understood that the Admiralty would be prepared to contribute the cost of the additional

dredging undertaken for them.

The Committce would accordingly suggest that the Governor should consult with the local representatives of the Admiralty in order that proper provision for meeting the Admiralty requirements may be made.

(5) On the question of cost, the Committee observe that the quotation obtained sometime ago from the Netherlands Dredging Company is no longer binding, and consequently, the Committee are not in a position to visualise the approximate cost of the combined Port and Admiralty scheme. They assume, however, that both as a result of the increase in the area to

be dredged and of the recent appreciation of the Hong Kong currency, a substantial reduction in the rates quoted by the

Netherlands Dredging Company will be obtained.

(6) The Committee have taken note of the sentence in paragraph 8 of the Governor's despatch to the effect that it

could be decided later, when the cost is known, whether a

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