CO129-608-7 Future policy- Report on Port Administration by Sir David Owen 24-2-1941 - 24-2-1941 — Page 37

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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.