CO129-608-7 Future policy- Report on Port Administration by Sir David Owen 24-2-1941 - 24-2-1941 — Page 191

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(a) In para. (a) on the first page of his confidential

report of 18.9.45 Mr. Nicol says that Sir David Owen suggested that the Port Trust should have jurisdiction over all the waters of the Colony. In sub-para. (v) of para. 5 of his memorandum, Mr. Jolly says: "The Port Trust is concerned with the Port of Victoria and not the waters of the Colony" for which reason he would leave navigational aids and signal stations outside the scope of the Trust.

Mr. Colman said he was strongly of the opinion that the Port Trust should exercise control over all the waters of the Colony as,

He felt the view he thought, Sir David Owen had suggested.

expressed by Commander Jolly was coloured by his desire to prove a case for the control of navigational lights and signals under the Department of Marine which he was advocating, and would divert a function which was normally and could more conveniently be co-ordinated under a Port Trust.

The Committee then decided to debate the information gathered so far and Mr. Colman withdrew.

PRELIMINARY DEBATE ON THE DESIRABILITY OF CONSTITUTING A PORT TRUST.

As a preliminary to the consideration of further evidence, the Committee proceeded to debate Mr. Colman's views and the information so far made available to the Committee.

In the course of general discussion the following opinions were expressed:

(a) That unless the Port Trust were to be given powers in

excess of those recommended by Sir David Owen, the duties to be carried out by the Port Trust consisted simply of the existing duties of various Government departments, and that the setting up of a Port Trust would appear to be an administratively top-heavy method of effecting improvements.

(b) That improvements in the administration might more

simply be achieved by making arrangements to improve the co-ordination of the work of the several Government departments concerned, and by setting up an influential Committee or Commission with specific terms of reference to keep harbour matters (including the views of all private interests concerned) before the Government, and that such arrangements would result in the same advantages, which the Chairman recapitulated, claimed by Mr. Colman for the Port Trust form of administration.

(c) That there will be a new labour policy in the Port in

the future resulting in a demand for mechanization, and that in these circumstances the Port Trust would have a useful service to perform in introduc- ing mechanization if private interests lagged behind the demand. It was mentioned that some private interests were already aware of the changed position arising out of present-day increased labour costs and that action had already been taken to order equipment.

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