Bank Believes

New Hebrides

Has A Future

News that the British-based Australia and New Zealand Bank Ltd. will open a branch at Vila, administrative capital of the New Hebrides Condominium by De cember this year, means that this bank has faith in the condo minium’s economic potential.

It can also be taken as a sign that the ANZ Bank believes Hebrides trade with Australia is going to snow ball in the future.

The bank sent a top administrative officer to the Hebrides last year, who submitted a detailed report on the condominium’s economic future. The report emphasised that while Aus tralia supplied 46 per cent, of the Hebrides’ imports, it took a mere three per cent, of its exports.

Gauging its own experience in the nearby Solomons since 1966 (the bank opened a branch in Honiara in October of that year), the bank report said sawn timber exports (par ticularly from the French Erromanga project) and meat sales (particularly from Santo) could go to Australia in a big way in the 1970’5.

Tourism also was seen as a bright point. The bank, which is in the travel business itself, can see tourism picking up in the Hebrides, especially with “circle Pacific” tours.

Both the bank and one of the condominium’s biggest traders, Burns Philp (New Hebrides) Ltd. say they “feel sure” they can co-operate in their varied business operations.

Neither would disclose if any ar rangements had been made.

BP’s, already agents for the Aus tralian Commonwealth Savings Bank in Vila, feels it can work with both banks without interests conflicting.

But it’s unlikely BP will let ANZ office space in its new Vila head quarters—the building is already full.

The ANZ overall view was that the condominium’s potential is, as yet, not fully exploited. The bank ob viously wants a hand in future de velopments. Its former Honiara manager, Mr. Alan Barker, was in Vila in Anril checking possible sites for an office.

ANZ will compete in Vila with the French Banque de LTndochine and the Commonwealth Bank.

News of the third bank closely followed announcements from the French and British Residencies that two condominium - owned abattoirs, with refrigerated storage space, would be built, subject to feasibility studies, at Santo and Vila.

As Santo has a deepwater wharf (Vila is in the process of building one) and it is exporting more meat than Vila, its abattoir will be built first, possibly by January, 1972. Vila will get its abattoir in 1973.

So far, steamed and non-steamed canned meats from Santo have been doing well in New Caledonia; only better quality exports would find their way to Australia.

And Among The

Irrational Airlines ...

A top-level eight-man team of British and French aviation experts took a look at aviation facilities and possible developments in the New Hebrides in April.

The team was, among many other things, interested in whether Bauer field, on the main island of Efate, could be upgraded for jet services or whether another airstrip should be built on that island. Bauerfield was upgraded more than a year ago but it is still not suitable for jets.

New Hebrides aviation facilities are, in fact, very poor and the condo minium is not likely to get any decent air services until real money is spent.

Airstrips are marginal—most were built by the late Paul Burton and planter Bob Paul when they got New

Hebrides Airways off the ground against difficult odds a number of years ago—and it is impossible for an internal air service to operate profitably until airstrips and other facilities are improved.

Both French and British aviation interests have been putting pressure on recently, which is one reason for the aviation experts’ visit. The French are, anyway, interested in reviewing their entire South Pacific air services.

Hebridair, the French internal air line, has nothing able to fly at all at the moment. Its Dornier needs replacing or rebuilding.

New Hebrides Airways was making do in April with an Aztec under charter while a new modified and overhauled Drover 3B was being flown from Australia to replace its only other aircraft, a Drover damaged recently. The Hebrides in ternal, rationalised air “fleet” was thus neither rationalised nor a fleet.

New Hebrides Airways, which already has Qantas and BOAC capital in it, now also has Burns Philp money. In April there was a share transfer which resulted in the Islands trading firm getting a 15 per cent, holding. Qantas and BOAC control the company with 51 per cent, of the shares, and other shareholders be sides BP are Mr, and Mrs. Bob Paul, the widow of Paul Burton, and some New Hebrideans. Bob Paul is chairman.

Other pending aviation changes in the South Pacific reported in April were a decision by the Republic of

New Nouveau

Passport Passeport

New Hebrideans, who are under two flags, at last have something that looks like their own passport in place of certificates of identity. It is a handsome document covered in dark blue, with gold lettering.

Pages are in pale blue, and from cover to cover the contents are scrupulously played down the centre, English on one side, French on the other. However, the cover says not simply PASSPORT but "Travel document for use as PASS

Port".