Containerisation, a problem

for the Solomons and others

Containerisation, the modern marine method of carrying cargo, has caught up with the Solomon Islands, and traders in the west of the group are not very happy about it. They no longer have a three-weekly service from Sydney. Instead their cargo is now carried in containers to Honiara and trans-shipped, which adds substantially to the cost.

It is something they have to learn to live with unless the government decides that Gizo should have port facilities suitable for the container age.

However, late in 1976, a special committee which made a survey of national transport needs, suggested local ports should be part of the overall transport picture, linked to the outside world through an international port such as Point Cruz (Honiara).

The committee re commended that each island needed one or two really good ports to simplify trans-ship ment of goods. If that becomes

official policy then the chances of a container port seem to be remote. Gizo, of course, could bring pressure on the government to spend on a modern port part of the $4O million-odd which Bri tain is making as a gift to the Solomons for the first four years on independence.

Were it possible for con tainer ships to use Gizo there would be no worries. It is doubtful if the wharf there could take containers. It is more likely to buckle under the weight. Lighters would not be used, as this would be too hazardous an operation.

As the trend these days is to container ships, even another service to Gizo by conven tional ships would have a limited life. The problem which Gizo faces now is not new in the Pacific. In the Gilberts, for example, cargo is landed at Tarawa for trans shipment, in Fiji, at Suva, Lautoka, and, occasionally, at Malau, for trans-shipment, in the Cooks, at Rarotonga, in

Western Samoa at Apia, and so on. It seems to be a Pacific Islands fact of life.

There’s a different kind of problem over cargo on the Fiji island of Taveuni where the people are not keen about using a new $ 100 000 wharf at Somosomo. Many of them prefer their “traditional” method of stevedoring sending their copra down chutes in bags to carry it to the coastline, to be lightered aboard ship. They like their inward cargo to be lightered ashore, after which they pick it up and take it home.

The Fiji Government has asked the shipping companies servicing Taveuni to charge extra for ship-to-shore deliv ery. They consider this will force the people to use the new wharf, which is prac tically ignored, even by peo ple living nearby.

Captain Frank Mitchell, of Williams Shipping, said his company and other shipping companies were switching away from the wharf, back to the Taveuni method of han dling cargo. Customers were not prepared to meet the in creased transport costs from the wharf to bulk stores or homes.

Forum Line Is

Planning Its Routes

The South Pacific Forum Shipping Line is getting closer to operating with talk of possi ble routes for the initial stages, plus establishment of transfer points for container cargo. The latter problem is likely to cause a few headaches before it is solved.

The chairman of the Forum Line, Mr N. Slade, of Western Samoa, believes that in the ab sence of container ports in the Islands, it is likely that trans shipment ports would be in New Zealand and Australia.

However, Mr Loh Heng Kee, director-general of the Ports

Authority of Fiji, considers Fiji has all the facilities re quired for a trans-shipment port.

Fiji, which has been named in three of the five routes a Forum Line marketing survey team is studying before ser vices actually start, has been handling container ships for some time and has big warehouses at Suva, to cater for increased cargo.

The five routes the market ing survey team is studying are: Australia-Fiji-Tonga- Western Samoa-American Samoa; New Zealand-Fiji- Tonga-American Samoa- Western Samoa; Australia- Papua New Guinea; New Zea land-Papua New Guinea; Fiji- Papua New Guinea.

There will be no trans- South Pacific service from Papua New Guinea to the Cook Islands and Tahiti. A proposal for such a service has been dropped because it is thought it would be uneconomical and im practical.

Mr Slade said the intention is to start on a small and moderate scale operating over economically viable routes.

He considered the Forum Line could carry out a con tainer feeder service from trans-shipment points in New Zealand or Australia.

Air Nz Rates: Sir

Albert Wants A Say

The Cook Islands intends to have a say in future in freight and fare increases proposed by Air New Zealand. Premier Sir Albert Henry, with dis arming frankness, admitted that in the past the Cook Is lands never really understood how increases came about.

They were accepted without

question.

But on a recent visit to NZ he had been advised of the formula used, and will look closely at future adjustments.