PM May Not See Super-Constellations Before

Slow Progress At

Moresby Airport

PM May Not See Super-Constellations Before End Of 1958 FROM R. W. ROBSON, IN NEW GUINEA.

It might be as well to review the Official assurances given a couple of months ago, that the Port Moresby airport would be ready in October, 1958, for the Qantas Super-Constellations; and that thereafter the air services between New Guinea, Australia and other overseas countries would be very much improved.

ON present indications, there is not much hope of the new air strip being ready before 1959.

There has been the usual lack of planning and co-ordination between the Governments and Departments and contractors concerned. Finalities which could have been reached in 1957 already are scheduled for “late 1958.”

MORESBY airport, as it is now, consists of two old strips, roughly parallel, running south sast to north-west; one of old war time metal matting, and one bitu nen. These were war-time strips, [n April, 1946, a phenomenal rain storm found the drainage weak aesses, and a substantial length was completely cut off one end of both, fhey were patched up, and length ened at the other end.

Both strips are of temporary con duction. The bitumen strip is dsibly disintegrating.

When it was decided to make an nternational airport arrangements vere made and contracts let for the eonstruction of a strip capable of aking any plane. Engineers planned I, great new strip down the centre >f the field, between the two exist ng strips.

This work is to be done in three itages earth formation, shaping md boxing, with construction of mge drains and channels to take itorm-water away; then the place ment of a base course—really, the foundation of the strip—very im lortant; and, thirdly, the placement >f a great mass of packed, crushed ock, the surface of which is sealed.

The first stage, carried out by con tactors (W. N. Johns, NG, Ltd.) res completed in mid-1956.

The Commonwealth Department f Works was right behind the con ractors, prepared to put in the base curse—but only 75 per cent, of the lase was in when Canberra’s ukase rent forth.

It was announced, to the con ternation of all concerned that there res no more money available for >epartment of Civil Aviation pre fects.

The whole work stopped at once— nd nothing was done to that air trip for practically 12 months.

High officialdom, when in May or

June last, it gave to Qantas the assurances which allowed Qantas to tell New Guinea that the Super- Constellations would begin running in October, 1958, knew that there was trouble over the tenders for supplying rock. Tenders had been let for the supply of 40,000 yards of crushed rock, from two quarries in Moresby area, for the top (and last) course and sealing; but the avail able equipment and supply were simply not adequate.

Now, however, the Commonwealth Works Dept., after a year’s delay, has resumed work on the air-strip (at the end of July). The Com monwealth financial year has ended, and Treasurer Fadden has manoeuvred himself into the preci ous publicity of “another huge surplus.”

Meanwhile the base course has been so rainsoaked that it has to be re-rolled, and the remaining 25 per cent, still has to be put in.

Now comes the problem of the crushed rock. It cannot be supplied from the planned sources.

So Public Works has purchased, at a cost of £50,000, a big and powerful Hadfield crushing plant, wherewith to supply the required 40,000 yards of crushed rock. The plant still has to be taken to Port Moresby and assembled. That is an enormous price to pay for crushed rock.

Money does not seem to matter in these things—once the Treasury doors are re-opened.

Moresby airport has been described as “the worst example of engineering bungling and administrative incom petence (the reference is to the lack of co-ordination of constructional operations) in the Territory.”

A surveyor’s error, in planning a “crossing” just found to be 4i inches too high, has cost £25,000.

IT will be a miracle if the base course can be completed, the crushing plant erected, the 40,000 yards of stone produced and put into place, and the new strip sealed be fore this year’s wet season com mences in December.

If the rains get into a half-com pleted job like this, the whole thing has to be re-rolled—and even then much damage can be done.

If the air-strip is not sealed off by

November, 1957 (and for that some thing like a miracle really is called for) it probably will not be ready for the big planes by October, J 958 —and. if it is not sealed and in use when the late 1958 rains start, there could be more costly delay.