Pacific Transport
pp. 61-65 · Read in the full issue
Unions' Shadow Seen Over Plan
For Regional Shipping Service
The South Pacific regional shipping ine should be an accomplished fact n about a year, with chartered ships. 3ut it will be on a limited scale, fh is was revealed at the South Pacific 'orum in Nukualofa in July.
The forum unanimously approved •lans to set up the line although the 7 iji Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kami ese Mara, had doubts. He said the uccess of any shipping venture in he Islands depended on the attitude if Australian and New Zealand mari ime unions.
Australia’s representative at the □rum, Foreign Affairs Minister, enator Don Willesee, and Ratu Sir Camisese disagreed about whether (atu Sir Kamisese’s statement should o into the forum communique, enator Willesee, as might be ex ected from a Labor Minister, did ot want it in. Ratu Sir Kamisese isagreed and won.
Routes will be surveyed covering apua New Guinea, the New lebrides, the Solomon Islands, Tonga nd Western Samoa. The shipping ne will be known as Pacific Forum ,ine, operating under the trade name, eapac.
On the aviation front, President fammer Deßoburt, of Nauru, urged lose governments which had airlines ) concentrate on improving services efore looking to a single regional line.
Ir Robert Rex, Niue, and Sir Albert tenry, Cook Islands, both said they ere concerned about the lack of irline services to their countries.
Mr Michael Somare, Papua New ruinea, said some airlines were irced to fly uneconomic routes, but id so reluctantly. They had to be ;sponsible to their shareholders.
It was revealed that a consultative ody, appointed in 1974 to look into le concept of a regional airline had ever met, because, as Ratu Sir Kami *se said, it was not given terms f reference, and no single organisa on was given the responsibility of 3nvening meetings.
The forum agreed with a sugges
tion by Senator Willesee that ministers meet and draw up terms of reference for the South Pacific Bureau of Economic Co-operation.
Meanwhile, at a time when it is cutting back on ship crews, Tonga is looking to expand its fleet with a 65,000 tonne bulk carrier. The Pacific Navigation Co has given its Australian brokers the go-ahead signal to look for a suitable carrier. The board thinks such a huge carrier would be an economic proposition, and hopes to have a deal wrapped up by September.
The carrier would absorb crews laid off from a number of other ships in the Pacific Navigation Co’s fleet.
Late in June, the acting general manager of the company, Mr Sione Faletau, said 35 officers and crew would be laid off as an economy measure.
At the same time he announced that
five cargo-carrying landing craft could be ordered in the next two years to service outer islands in Tonga.
Mr Faletau said some of the fleet had been “grossly over-crewed” in the last year or two. The cut-backs would not leave the ships short handed. They would conform with international manning scales, The crew of the Tauloto, the big gest ship in the fleet, which operates to Fiji and Australia, faced a cut of 10 officers and crew. The Niuvakai, which now carries a lot of coal for the Fiij cement manufacturer, Fiji Industries Ltd, lost eight. The Aoniu, which operates between Tonga and New Zealand was to lose four crew, Two inter-island ships, the Pakeina and Olovaha, lost nine and four re spectively. Mr Faletau said the com pany was enforcing strict cost
The Papuan Chief (pictured) operated by the New Guinea Australia Line, made her last Australia-Papua New Guinea voyage in July, after which she was returned to her owners, John Swire and Sons, of London. The Papuan Chief went into the Australia-PNG service in 1967, and made 132 round trips covering those two countries, plus some to the Solomon Islands.
She was chartered to Burns Philp for the Australia-Pacific Islands service from May, 1969, to November, 1970, and in that period was known as the Marsina. She is depicted on a Solomon Islands stamp.
She was built in Norway in 1953, and was the Bahia till acquired by NGAL.
NGAL converted her into a sideport loader—the first such ship in the NGAL fleet.
NGAL will bring another ship into the service to replace the Papuan Chief.
control, and could not afford to over man ships. Economies were being made wherever possible. There would be cutbacks in victualling of ships.
Mr Faletau hoped an overseas trip to New Zealand, Australia and Norway, which he started late in June, would result in a streamlining of operations, which would enable the company to operate on a sound economic base.
He said the landing craft, three of 30 tons and two of 55 tons, would service the Niuas, Vavau and Haapai, as well as Tongatapu and Eua. A 30-tonner would be stationed at Pangai to service all nearby in habited islands. One, based at Nuku alofa, would service the Niuas in ternally, and would connect with the trunkline ship. The third 30-tonner would operate from Neiafu, to carry copra and other produce within nearby islands.
Tire 55-tonners, operating from Nukualofa to Eua and Haapai, would
carry mainly heavy machinery, pri
mary produce and petroleum pro ducts.
Mr Faletau said the use of landing craft with loading and unloading ramps was a far more economic proposition than building jetties for conventional small ships.
The company, using Australian aid, has called tenders to build a 50 ft passenger ferry for the Nukualofa- Eua service.
A Mini-Service
For Cooks, Niue
New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Niue will have their own “mini”
regional shipping service following
agreement at a recent conference in Rarotonga. The Cl Premier, Sir Albert Henry, presided. Those attending were Sir Basil Arthur (NZ Transport Minister), Mr Robert Rex (Premier of Niue) and Mr G. Ellis (Associate Minister of Shipping in the Cl).
They agreed it was essential to link the islands and New Zealand with regular and adequate shipping ser vices which would ensure the highest development of the three countries.
Policy will be laid down and con trolled by a ministerial committee on which each country will be repre sented.
The conference confirmed guide lines laid down on an interim basis in August, 1974, for the operation of the Lorena and the Toa Moana.
The service will not cut across the proposed regional service which is now in the process of being set up by the South Pacific Bureau of Economic Co-operation. Some co ordination will be maintained between the two, but the SPEC regional ser
ce will not be allowed to reduce the int NZ-CI-Niue services.
Shippers can expect to pay higher eight rates to meet ever-increasing •sts, but there will be a simplified riff, which should make matters sier for both them and importers.
The governments are now studying
oposals to upgradrshor: facilitie!
-u . „ T®, , . .th
. ?o™ing and unloading a i
trotonga and Niue is anything bu, 1 easy P ro P os, n°n*
Iji Takes
Ver Airport
An era in Fiji’s aviation history /\n era in rijis avianon msiory ded on July 1 when the Fiji Civil Nation Department took over conanon i>.eparimem iook over con
d 1 of Nadi international airport.
le New Zealand Government had le i>ew z.eaiana cjovernmem naa en responsible for administrative ntrol of the airport since the early 40s - Along with the takeover was the pointment of four senior local ;hnicians to key posts at the air- »rt. They are Mr Brama Govind, r Jone Koroitamana, Mr Ahmed i and Mr Norman Yee, who will in charge of electrical and mechical equipment, traffic control, mmunication operations and telemmunications and engineering.
Three of them studied overseas for their technical qualifications, while the fourth trained while in service, as well as covering several overseas courses.
The civil aviation directorate of the Fiji Department of Transport and Civil Aviation has been hived off in an effort to improve its standards.
The upgrading of the directorate met the requirements of the South Pacific Air Transport Council (the UK, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia).
The director of the department, Mr Michael Varley, said one of its priorities would be to introduce strin gent controls on airport operations and facilities which had been lacking.
Captain Dion Bennett, who has been flying for more than 20 years, and who has retired from Air Pacific, has been recruited to look after the air crew licensing section of the department.
Fiji Container
Ban To Stay
Fiji’s dockworkers are holding firm to a resolution made in March to re fuse to handle ships carrying more than 10 per cent of the Fiji-consigned cargo in containers. The ban was im posed because the union believed con tainerisation would cause redundan cies among wharf workers.
Efforts since the ban was imposed
to lift the percentage margin to 30 per cent have failed. Three meetings involving the government, five ship ping companies and the union have failed to bridge the gap.
The next meeting will be on a “date to be fixed”, to give the ship ping companies and the union a Cha " Ce *° ““ ° U ‘ thdr argUmen ' S '
Air Famine Now Air
Feas T For ,“> Rd .
. Howe Island, which lost its nymg-boat and subsequent Heron llnks wllh Sydney is now receiving a service from three airlines, and anc ?ther is m the offing. Advance Aviation Pty Ltd, of Bankstown, o H w rpppntlv orantprt Q liVphpp fy dne y> was recently granted a licence to operate a regular service, using a 5. . £ r ’ anfl r r sev cn seater turbo prop Commander, At present, operating from TAA terminal at Mascot, Sydney, the air line is flying return services to the island each week—on Thursdays and Sundays. The number will be in creased during holiday seasons, when there is a big demand for services to the island.
The airline plans to alter the con figuration of the aircraft, by convert ing it to a nine-seater. The return fare to the island is about $l4O.
Advance Airlines has been in the charter field for some time now,
perating within New South Wales.
Lord Howe Island is also serviced y two other charter flights from lew South Wales—one leaving from ort Macquarie and the other from offs Harbour.
The Brisbane-based Norfolk Island irways Ltd, expects to open a new irvice to Lord Howe Island from risbane and Norfolk Island when a :w Beechcraft King Air Super 200 )es into operation in September, his will probably be a charter scr ee according to the Australian ransport Department.
The airline expected to take de scry of the aircraft at Witchata, ansas, in July, and fly it to Brisbane a Seattle, Washington, Anchorage Uaska), Adak (Aleutian Islands), idway, Majuro, Fiji and Norfolk land. The airline’s chief pilot, Cap in Tony Snell, and a director, Mr -raid Goudie, were to make the livery flight.
Norfolk Island Airways Ltd also s plans to fly to New Caledonia, lis would be a matter for negoti on between the French and Aus ihan governments. Early in July wever, the Australian Transport :partment had not received an plication to start the service.
Ending Rights
I Png
Falks started in Canberra recently ween the governments of Papua w Guinea and Australia aimed at iching agreement on air services er PNG becomes independent presentatives of Air Niugini and ntas attended. The PNG delega ri was led by the Associate Con ner of Civil Aviation, Mr J. J avasa.
Australia was represented by cials of the Department of Civil lation and the Department of eign Affairs. The talks were the t in a series to be held by PNG h countries seeking rights in PNG - r independence. PNG has re zed a number of inquiries about its, particularly from south-east a.
Lauans Will Service
Jwanese Boats
"he Palau Fishing Authority has led an agreement with Taiwan ermen under which the authority service Taiwanese fishing boats mg at Palau. The Taiwanese are rested m developing Micronesia’s enes through joint and co rative ventures after they make a mtial ° f thC territory ’ s fishin g Francisco T. Uludong, manager the Palau Fishing Authority, re tly visited Taiwan where he in
vestigated a number of aspects of the fishing industry. He said on his re turn he had warned the Taiwanese that the Trust Territory Government was now taking strong measures against those who violated Micro nesia? waters. Officials in Taiwan promised to advise their fishermen not to fish in Micronesian waters.
Freight Rates
Rise Again
Northbound freight rates from Aus tralia to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands rose by $3.40 a ton from June 1. The increase followed per ce ? l rise from A P ri l 1.
When the April rise was negotiated options were kept open for a further rise, depending on the effects of an impending increase in wages for waterside workers in Australia.
This increase was 30 per cent, and applied to other wages as well. The companies concerned in the rise are Conpac, Karlander, New Guinea Express Line and New Guinea Aus tralia Line. The new rates for general cargo from Australia to PNG ports are: Sydney-Brisbane to Port Moresby- Sama™— S49.6s a cubic metre, 155.35 a tonne.
Sydney-Brisbane to Lae-Madang- Rabaul —ssl.3s a cubic metre, $56 75 a tonne.
Sydney-Brisbane to Wewak-Kavieng- Kieta —ss7.3o a cubic metre, $63 45 a tonne.
Melbourne to Port Moresby ?^'^? i ' 5544 ° a cubic metre, 5>59.80 a tonne.
Melbourne to Lae-Madang-Rabaul —JSS a cubic metre, $60.80 a tonne Melbourne to Wewak-Kavieng- Kieta —s6l.4o a cubic metre, $6B 15 a tonne. • The costs of the Suva-Nadi high way are escalating. The latest esti mate of $29.5 million is likely to be even higher before the highway is finished. Originally the Fiji Govern ment borrowed $19.8 million to con struct the highway, • The first step in a direct air link between Japan and Fiji could be Japan Air Lines charter flights with tourists. JAL has approached the Fiji Government suggesting a number of charter flights to start in February or March, 1975. There would be 10 to 14 flights for seven-day periods. Each flight would bring about 140 Japanese tourists. • C^P tain M - Peters, well known m the South Pacific as a master of Pacific Far East Line ships, has re tired. He had held command of 10 cargo ships, and also of the luxury liners, Mariposa and Monterey.