Pacific Transport

The Solomons Looks At Its

Transport Problems

Shipping is given priority over road and air transport in the Solomons, in a report made recently by a special committee after making a survey of national transport needs.

The committee, which was set up by the Minister of Works and Utilities, Mr Tepaika, recommended a 20-year programme to expand inter island shipping as a top priority.

A 20-year period was necessary because ports, airfields and roads were expensive to build, the report said. But they were long-lasting when built. It the economy was to grow a much improved transport system was essential, and should have a high priority in the allocation of national resources.

The committee said that, in most countries, road transport was the cheapest and most convenient way of moving freight. But that did not apply in the Solomons. Because the islands were scattered, sea transport was obviously of major importance.

Within individual islands, the long coastline, the difficult terrain for road building and the widely-scattered communities were factors in favour of sea transport against roads. The committee said that first there should be development of inter-island ports, then feeder services both by road and sea, then the development of Point Cruz as the country’s main inter national and trans-shipment port.

Each large island needed one or two really good ports to simplify trans-shipment of goods, to make passenger travel easier, and to help develop the economy of the island.

Ports should be sited not only where they were suitable for shipping, but to meet the needs of the people and the economy. Local ports would be part of the overall transport picture, linked to the outside world through an international port such as Point Cruz.

If the economy expanded at the rate of 4% a year over the next 20 years, the amount of imports handled at an international wharf would more than double from the 60,000 tonnes in 1975 to 130,000 tonnes. Point Cruz, if

properly developed could easily

handle all cargo forecast for the next 20 years. , .. , , Early consideration should be given to setting up a marine services authority to incorporate the functions of the Port Authority, Tulagi dockyard and the Marine Division s commercial shipping activities.

The committee came down against a national airline. The cost would be very high, maintenance problems severe and the service offered would be inadequate. The Solomons’ needs would best be met by encouraging all airlines in the Pacific to route their smaller aircraft through the country.

The committee was also against a

second international airport. Hen derson Field, near Honiara was not used enough, and could easily handle all international traffic. There was no ca jj f or bi g g er aircraft as mass tourist trave i the Solomons was unlikely to d eve i o p The country’s hotels and communicat i o ns were not geared to mass travel The service provided by Solair, the internal airline, was good, and financially self-supporting to a large degree.

The committee reported that the present airfield construction for Ontong Java, Reefs and Santa Ana was sound and when completed would provide a reasonably adequate network of internal airfields.

Bumpy Flight For Air Niugini

Air Niugini expects to have its own Boeing 707 flying its international routes in February, but so far the flight has not all been smooth. The PNG Transport Minister, Mr Bruce Jephcott, in Parliament recently had to defend the decision to buy the Boeing from Qantas for K 5 million. This was only a week or so after Air Niugini’s international operations were threatened by the collapse of the charter company which is providing the service.

The charter company is the UKbased Tempair, which is a subsidiary of Templewood Aviation International Ltd. Tempair, under the charter, provided a Boeing 707, crews, maintenance and operations as a package deal, which was due to expire in February.

With Tempair in difficulties another UK company, Stanhope Shipping, came to the rescue and after negotiations with PNG, Air Niugini services remained intact. However, PNG expected to pay higher operating costs under the new deal.

Mr Jephcott, defending the purchase of the Boeing from Qantas, said it had been an extremely good deal economically, and the training and technical arrangements which went with it were excellent. Mr

Jephcott was replying to questions from his predecessor in the Transport portfolio, Mr lambakey Okuk (now a back-bencher).

Mr Okuk inferred that Mr Jephcott was favouring Australia in deals in volving Air Niugini, and that the PNG airline industry was being forc ed into dependence on Australia. He asked Mr Jephcott if he could explain why the deal was not able to provide the full capabilities which Air Niugini might have expected, and when the PNG Government intended to buy out the 40% shareholding which Australian airlines hold in Air Niugini. (The PNG Government owns 60% of Air Niugini. Ansett holds 16% and Qantas and TAA 12% each.) Mr Jephcott said he had not the slightest intention of letting any foreign airline or foreign country dominate Air Niugini. He could not give a date for buying out the Australian holding in Air Niugini, and added, “But our aim is to own our own airline”.

The deal with Qantas includes crew training and conversion, a spare engine, special navigational equip ment, all life-saving gear, and the preparation of the aircraft for im mediate operation on delivery.