for top port status
p. 77 · Read in the full issue
Two Fiji towns battle for top port status
Mr Loh Heng-kee brought
the wrath of Labasa on his head when he suggested Savusavu instead of Labasa as the practical site for a port of entry for Vanua Levu, the sec ond biggest island in Fiji. Civic leaders criticised Mr Loh, who is director of the Ports Auth ority of Fiji, and had visited both towns to assess port needs and prospects.
The Mayor of Labasa, Cr Shiromani Madhavan, said it would be illogical and ill considered to declare Savusavu as a port of entry. Savusavu did not have the population, infra structure, communications and other facilities to support a port of entry. He said importers
would boycott Savusavu and
would have their goods sent to either Suva or Lautoka.
If the transinsular road be tween Savusavu and Labasa was not under construction
Labasa would have a good ar gument, say observers. But the road will make all the dif ference. Savusavu has handled some big tourist liners, and is the centre for copra, timber, cocoa and other primary indus tries.
Savusavu could be reached 24 hours a day, and is a deep water harbour. The way into Malau, which serves as an off
shore loading point for the big
ger ships going to Labasa, is strewn with reefs and rocks,
and is navigable only in day
light.
Mr Loh met people representing a variety of interests when he visited Savusavu and Labasa, with other PAF officials. These were some of the points made at Savusavu: • With completion of the transinsular road and develop ment of a deepwater port at
Savusavu there would be obvious time-saving advan tages for Labasa also; • Savusavu was only 50 km from the overseas shipping lane; • Overseas ships could call at Savusavu to pick up exports, saving the expense of a trans-shipment to Suva; • Savusavu would open up
possibilities for exporting tim
ber, cocoa, yaqona, pineapples, root crops, etc and could lead to a revival of the banana export trade.
At Labasa Mr Loh and his party were told there could be ports of entry on the Labasa (northern) side of the island at either Naduri or Korotubu.
Alternatively, there could be ports of entry at both Labasa and Savusavu.
However, a port of entry for Vanua Levu is still a long way away. It is a matter for the government to decide, and when it makes a decision for a port at a particular place it will be up to the PAF to develop the harbour.
Savusavu township and its deep-water harbour. Photo: A.G.Shearer.