1928.

VICTORIA.

ROYAL COJYilYIISSION ON VICrrORI~ttN

OUTER PO R rrs.

EIGHT

WESTERNPOI-{11;

TOGETHER WITH MAPS.,

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY'S COMMAND.

[Approa:imale Con of Report :-Preparati&n, not given. PrinUn11 (500 copies), £03.]

~! ~ll.i \tl)tit.!! :

B. J. GREEN, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, MELBOURNU,

No. 44.-[ls. 3n.J-12828.

SUBJECTS OF REPORTS.

FIRsT R:EFOET.-Classification and Administration of Outer Ports, Regulation of Transport.ation Systems, and Outwai'd &c. (30th September, 1925).

Rates,

SECOND REYORT.--Portland Harbour and a Review dealing generally with Economic Conditions affecting Outer Ports (2nd December, Hl25).

THIRD REFOR'l'.-· .. Warrnambool Harbour (15th December, 1925).

FoURTH REPORT.-Port Harbour (22nd December, Hl25).

FIF'l'H REFORT.--The Gi]?pslan.d Lakes Entrance and Gippsland's Development as related to its Outer Ports (Hith March, 1927).

Srx•rR REFOll.'r.-Welshpool, the Port for South Gippsland; the Re-settlement of Abandoned Lands, &c. (i.lth July,

SEVENTH R:r::POR'r.-Loeai Harbour ; their Constitution, Areas, and Finance (6th July, 1927).

EIGHTH

..

ROYAL CO~I1UISSION ON VICTORIAN OTJTER PORTS.

MEMBERS:

A. A. FARTHING, EsQ., Chairman. THE HoN. E. G. BATH, M.IJ.c. THE HoN. H. BEARDiviORE, M.L.A. THE HoN. A. M. ZwAR, M.L.C. I. J. ·w·EAVER, EsQ.

J. H. OwEN, Secretary.

WESTERNPOR11•

To llis Excellency Lieutenant-Colonel the Right'Honorable ARTHUR HERBERT TENNYSON, BARON SoMERS, K.C.lYJ.G., D.S.O., 111..0.; Governor of the State of Vidoria and its Dependencies ·in the Commonwealth of Attstralia, &c., &c., &c.

MAY IT PLEASE YouR ExcELLENCY:

\Ve, your Commissioners appointed on the 9th day of October, 1923, to inquire into and report upon-

1. The state and condition of the several established Victorian ports and harbours outside Port Phillip Bay, and whether the schemes for their improvement are based on sound principles, having regard to the development of the resources of the State and the necessity for economical handling and transport of produce and commodities.

2. The expediency in the case of any port of making alterations in any scheme of harbour works begun or projected.

3. ·what extensions and development, if a.ny, of existing harbour works, or of the schemes in relation thereto, are necessary and justifiable in the public interest, and the probable cost thereof.

The desirabiJity of obtaining the services of an outside expert in ba:rbour construction to examine and repurt on the several ports.

5. ·whether any alterations or variations in the present methods of control and management of all or any of the several ports are necessary or desirable.

6. Generally the utility and efficiency of all or any of the ports, and the best methods of promoting same--

have the honour to submit our Eighth R0port, dealing with Westernport.

6

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. Your Commissioners

recommendations :-this Report record the follo·wing conclusions and

This investigation into the potential conditions likely to follow the initial development of harbour works at vVesternport Bav was fraught difficulties those met w-ith in connexion ~;vith the inquiries and rep~·rts made in relation to other outer ports of Victoria. The representations made by local residents in of making of the proposed port were practically confined to fruit export of Mornington Peninsula. The duty, therefore, devolved your Commissioners to enlarge the scope of the inquiry, and its development has been onerous.

marine of the investigation needed little attention, as the physical conditions obtaining in vVesternport Bay in a pristine state, and approach perfection from shipping and harbour construction angles. Bay is e1>.'iensive, well protected from the sea and weather,

like Corner has a, tidal rise of over 8 feet.

There are entrances~the Eastern, which separates Phillip Island from the mainland to the eastward, and high water, is available the navigation of vessels of 14 feet draft to the inner of Bay. The 'IN estem Entrance, which is 25 miles to the east of Port Phillip Heads, has ranging from 70 to 90 feet in mid-channel, and 24 to 3Q feet close to the shores. existing depth of water at Port Phillip Heads is 43 feet, and the main channel

Hobson's Bay is 37 feet deep. Westernport Bay is open, from any hidden danger, easy of access, and affords sufficient room for vessels of any size and draft to work in and out. Vessels may ride at anchor in the Bay secure from all \'.rinds. There are good anchorages, 'ivith depths of water from 42 to 48 feet.

Two very eligible port practically of equal merit, are available. At both localities 30 feet depth of water is reached almost immediately from the shore, but the wharf scheme proposed provides for the extension of the works into deeper water naturally capable of fully meeting the exacting requirements of vessels of greatest bmthen and draft likely to be eJ?lployed for many years the overseas trade to Australian waters. If in a future generation the demand develops for the employment of much greater vessels, then \Vestemport Bay, one of the very few ports in the world of sufficient natural depth to take a vessel dra-vv-ing 40 feet, could accommodate them with little recourse to artificial means.

either site the worst weather conditions would not be sufficient to disturb a vessel lying at a wharf. There would no difficulties in the WELJ of approach to either of the port sites by railway or road.

The basic feature on which the Westernport harbour proposition rests, depends upon new railway counexions starting from Pakenham (or· Officer), on the main Gippsland railway, and extending to Clyde, on the South-eastern line, and thence to the Stony Point line, as depicted in a sketch map included in the Appendices to this Report.. Tbis is so economically vital to the whole proposal to construc·b a port at Vv este:rnport that your Commissioners feel that it is necessary to put the relative estimated expenditures on the alterna,tive schemes in juxtaposition for the purposes of comparison. The alternative schemes proposed are as follo_ws :~

i

!

Length-Miles. ltate per Mile. Total.

£ £ Long Island Port Site-

Pakenham to Clyde .. . . . . 10 7,500 75,000 Clyde to Long Island Site .. . . 14 7,000 98,000 Long Isla.nd to Tyabb .. .. . . 2 11,000 22,000

26 .. 195,000

Crib Point Port Site-Pakenham to Clyde .. . . . . 10 7,500 75,000 Clyde to Tya b b .. . . 7,000 94,500 Junction with Stony Point J.,ine to Crib

Point 8jte . . . . . . . . 2! .. 22,500

25! .. 192,000

I

7

The course of the investigation was extended from the region of the Mornington Peninsula which it was mainly restricted by the evidence heard-to a broad review of potential

. economic conditions which might develop in contiguous districts, by the creation of a -sea outlet for the export of fresh fruit, butter and meat, &c., to overseas markets, and commo ties, such as potatoes, onions, peas, and other vegetablep:roduce, dairy and poultry products, fodder, &c., which can be produced in practically unlimited quantities in these districts, to northern states, where there will always be a better market for such products than Victorian markets offer.

The area tributary to such a port was assumed to embrace productive districts included in the counties of Mornington, Evelyn, and portions of Buln Buln as far eastward as Moe or lVIorwell, on the main Gippsland line, and Korumburra, on the South-eastern line. The benefits likely to accrue to producers were sought for wholly from an economic aspect that should emerge from such a decentralization of some portion of the Australian and oversea export business. It was premised that the effect of lower railway freights, and handling charges-a matter of greater consideration-brought about by the linking by new railways of the two main Gippsland lines, should be beneficial to them. No account is taken in this connexion of the fact that the Morwell and Traralgon shires, which are provisionally embraced in the delimitation of the tributary area to the proposed port, are included in the outer range of the area defined by the Harbour Boards Act, as subject to being rated lli"l.der the \Velshpool harbour scheme when such eventuates.

The results of an exhaustive comparison of railway freights from some of the principal stations the area assumed to be tributary to Westernport, indicate the savings that would be made.

With direct and unhampered transport by rail and road, cool storage accommodation, and fruit and packing establishments and processing works at the proposed port, lower railway combined with handling charges lower than the aggregate of such which necessarily obtains

heavily-congested metropolitan channels, and speedy shipping despatch, all go to furnish an opportunity of comparing such advantages put forward for a port on the Mornington Peninsula, with the facilities offered at Melbourne destinations, particularly at the Cool Stores, Victoria Dock.

It will be noted that rates would be substantially in favour of Melbourne ports from places on the Healesville, Warburton, and Gembrook lines. Railway charges on produce for export from Mornington Peninsula stations would necessarily be much lower to a local port. ,

Taking existing export freight rates from various stations on the main Gippsland line, and comparing them with the rates that would obtain were goods sent to the proposed new port at \Vesternport Bay, it .1vill be found that producers would benefit to the following extent ·

Station. Melbourne.

s. d.

1 3 .. 0 3

Buln 0 8 Neerirn South 011

0 5 0 7

1\ioe .. 0 1 Walhalla 0 5 Thorpdale 0 8

Morwell .. 0 5 North JYiirboo 0 9

0 2 0 4

Sale 0 4 Lindenow 0 1 Bairnsdale .. Bruthen 0 7 Orbost 0 2

Cool St<Jrcs, Yictoria Dock.

s. d.

2 4 1 4 1 9 2 0 1 6 1 8 1 2 1 6 1 9 1 6 110 1 3 1 5 1 5 1 2 1 1 1 8 1 ')

<)

Port Melbourne.

s. d.

1 3 0 3 0 10 1 0 0 8 1 0 0 5 0 5 0 10 0 8 0 9 0 2 0 4 0 4 0 1

0 7 0 2

Butter in ton tots.

s. d.

1 5 1 5 1 9 1 4 1 5 L 4 1 4: 1 0 1 0 1 5 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 011 0 8

8

The folloViring stB,tions on the South-eastern line are cited to indicate the difference in freight in favour of Vlesternport export depot as against Melbourne ports:-

Station. I Melboume. Cool Stores, Port. Melbourne. Butter Victoria Dock. in ton lots.

8, d' s. d. .s. d. s.' d. Clyde .. '. . . 1 3 2 4 l 3 2 6 Koo-wee-rup . . .. l 7 2 8 1 10 2 9 Nyora . . . . .. 1 6 2 7 1 6 2 4 Woolamai . . .. . . 1 0 2 1 1 4 2 8 State Coal JYiine .. . . 0.,10 1 11 0 10 . . Korumburra .. .. . . 0 10 1 11 1 3 2 9 Leongatha . . . . ' . 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 5 Fish Creek .. . . . . 0 5 l 6 0 5 2 3 Foster . . .. . . 0 5 1 6 0 5 2 4 Toora .. . . . . Oil 2 0 0 11 2 1 Welshpool . . .. . . 0 6 I 7 0 6 1 9 Alberton . . ..

.. I 0 4 I 5 0 8 2 0

Woodside .. . . . . 0 5 1 6 0 5 2 0

The outstanding deduction to be dra v\'Il from the foregoing freight comparisons points. to the much-needed impetus that the creation of a port of inter-state shipping capacity at '\Velshpool would give to the languishing portions of the better developed districts of Gippsland. It is recalled that in our Report-Vlelshpool-it was earnestly stressed that the reasonable prosperity of existing settlement, the successful occupancy of the remaining Cro-vv11 lands and the re-settlement of abandoned areas, to be brought about by amended forms of settlement and comprehensive road construction schemes were largely dependent upon sea transport of its produce to Australian markets generally. It appeared to your Commissioners then, that in order that producers on the outer fringe of the districts likely to be h)-eluded. under the rating jurisdiction of a local Harbour Board might profitably use the port for the shipment commodities to Sydney, Brisbane, and other north-eastern ports, a connexion between the two main Gippsland railways was essential. ·

appears to your Commissioners that certain important features round which the successful working of local harbour boards revolve, have been missed by both Parliament and those local people most vitally concerned. In this connexion the defining and delimiting of rating areas in relation to certain proposed harbours appear to have given little consideration to conununity of interests, to the physical features of the disttiets embraced, and to existing means of transpor:t;a­tion. For instance, the disinclination of certain shires within' the proposed area of the projected '\Velshpool Harbour Board's jurisdiction to join in the scheme on account of the provisions of the Harbour Boards Act relating to the rating of a maximum of 3d: in the £1 on the annual valuation would probably be overcome were the boundaries confined to the immediate districts lying south of North Mirboo, which could be materially served by the port.· Those districts included in the Morwell and. Traralgon shires, though liable to rating under the . Harbour Boards Act, and which economically are cut off from Port vVelshpool, would not then complain of being unfairly mulcted, but be free to make use of metropolitan ports, or when established the port at Westernport Bay.

It is to be deplored that, not-vvithstanding the organized evidence submitted to your Com­missioners in connexion with port development at '\Velshpool-then declared to be urgently essential for the betterment and development of South Gippsland-was burdened with an eager spirit to accept a reasonable responsibility by the constitution of a harbour board, nothing has fructi:fied. The new and potential aspects relating to Westernport Bay development brought forth in this Report should be of considerable interest. .

Your Commissioners recommend that the proposed reconditioning of the Stony Point jetty, at an estimated cost of nearly £4,000, be not carried out. The work would only provide more adequately than at present for the tourist and other trade of Tankerton, and San Remo. and its use would always be restricted to vessels of shallow draft, and would do nothing ,to develop the l\>lornington Peninsula and tributary districts.

The pier at Tankerton, French Island, should be sufficiently e::x"terided to allow of vessels berthing thereat-the cost not to be borne by the settlers on the Island.

The existing tortuous approach to the pier San Remo should be straightened and dredged to l),dmit of the navigation of vessels of a draft 9 6 inches at 13,n estimated cost of £5,500, •

9

A scheme submitted for the provision of a four-berth wharf, at a cost estimated at £310,000, apart from the cost of the proposed cross-country railway and its connexions-a feature primarily essential to the project-was rejected by your Commissioners.

A plan to provide for a wharf providing one-berth accommodation, capable of enabling an overseas vessel to moor thereat, especially in connexion with the export of fruit overseas, is submitted. By the establishment at the outset of a one-berth deep-water port. at Crib Point or alternatively, at Long Island, with a berthing wharf 500 feet in length, and an approach jetty 1,500 long, together with a shelter-shed 150 by 50 feet, at an estimated cost of £54,000, the Western­port Bay traffic, and the Australian and overseas export business from the Mornington Peninsula, and the contiguous districts of nearer Gippsland, would be fully served.

This scheme, of which the most serious consideration is recommended, if it were designed and constructed so as to be capable of any extentsion as the business of the port expanded, would serve to initiate an appreciable decentralizing element in Victoria's export trade from the eastern areas of the State. Its influence would also be a potential factor in attracting attention to the unrivalled advantages, as viewed from every aspect, which exist for the location of large industrial undertakings on the fine water front, and for the spacious housing of employees in salubrious and agreeable surroundings.

As a State eminently suitable for the establishment of extensive industries by Australian, British, and foreign capital, Victoria has hitherto failed to offer sufficient inducements to investors. 'rhe large area of cheap ·and unoccupied land contiguous to either of the sites for the proposed deep-water port, which would be ·within easy distance of the Metropolis, furnishes in itself important reasons for the marine works proposed. It may be instanced that the close proximity of coal at 'Vonthaggi, lime at Waratah, iron ore at Nowa Nowa and Blyth River, Tasmania, together with the existing permanent reticulation of the area with water and electric power, provide all of the essentials for the establishment of an Australian iron and steel industry of unlimited dimensions should deep-water shipping facilities be suitably provided, as they may be very economically. Instead of the coal being carried to the iron ore, the ore would be taken to the coal by the cheapest method of transportation, as is the practice at Pittsburgh (U.S.A.), Broken Hill and Xewcastle (~.S.W.).

Due consideration has been given by your Commissioners to the placing of a port, in the event of its cons.truction, under the jurisdiction of the Ports and Harbours Branch of the Public 'Vorks Department, but they cannot recommend that course. It is recognized that a port at \Ve~ternport Bay would approximate somewhat closely to Portland in its deep water character, yet It would serve purely local needs in the early stages of its history. Your Commissioners would therefore recommend that the provisions of the Harbour Boards Act he brought into operation, the State to provide adequately, and even liberally for that proportion of expenditure which may be necessary to meet the requirements of overseas shipping. .

All of which we have the honour to submit for Your Excellency's consideration.

Witness our hands and seals this third day of December, 1928.

A. A. FARTHING, Chairman, (L.S.)

J. H. OWEN, SeCTetary.

EDWIN G. BATH,

A. }\11. ZW AR, ~

HENRY BEARDMORE,

L J. 'VEA VER.

(L.S.)

(L.S.)

(L.S.)

(L.S.)

10

HISTORICAL. . rrhe early history of Westernport Bay, or Port Western, as it has been called latterly, is ~nteresting and informative. To-day, so far as material commercial exploitation is concerned, 1t is almost in that pristine state of undevelopment that met the eyes of its intrepid discoverer, Surgeon George Bass, who first entered its waters in a whale-boat on the 4th January, 1798. Actually since that date no physical change has been recorded.

Three years later, in JYlarch, 1801, Lieutenant James Grant, who entered the Bay the Lady Nelson, the first decked vessel to enter the port, summed up the advantages of the place by stating that it was capable of containing several hundred sail of ships in perfect security from storms. In his records he ivrote of Churchill Island :-" I was anxious to mark my predeliction for thiS spot on account of its beautiful situation, inasmuch as I scarcely knew a place I should sooner call my own than this little island. The situation of it is so pleasant, and the prospect round it so agreeable that this, together with the richness of the soil, and the sheltered position of the spot, made me conceive the idea that it was excellently adapted for a garden." Grant was the first cultivator of the soil of Victoria. He used a much-worn coal shovel to make a garden containing 20 rods; the Henty Brothers, of Portland, and Batman and Fawkner, of Port Phillip, followed at later dates. .

On the 7th of December of the same year Lieutenant Murray vjsited the Bay, and reported that " the wheat and corn tha,t Lieutenant Grant had sown in April last were in full vigour, 6 feet high, and almost I never saw :fi.ner wheat or corn in my life, the straw being very nearly as large as young sugar cane.''

In 1802 Governor King reported that the only eligible situation for establishing a settlement to the south of Sydney was either at Port Dalrymple or \Vesternport.

In 1804 Lieutenants Robbin and Oxley were deputed by Governor King to fix a port either at Port Phillip or \Vesternport. After an exhaustive examination they jointly condemned Westernport as being unsuitable for the purpose, and declared for a settlement at a site on the Freshwater River (Yarra River) at the head of Por1b Phillip Bl:),y. Now, more than a century later, when the village which started its growth on the Freshwater River has grown into the great capital city of a rich and prosperous British dependency, the claims of Westernport for a measure of national development have reasserted themselves and given rise to the discussion which forms the subject of the Eighth Report of the Royal Commi~>sion on Outer Ports Development. ·

\VESTERNPORT.

THE BAY AND ITS CHANNELS.

Westernport Bay is 40 miles by rail from Melbourne to its nearest landing at Hastings, and 46 miles to Stony Point, the railway terminus. It is an extensive bay, in which spring tides rise 8! feet, protected for the most part from the sea by Phi!lip Island. The Eastern Entrance is a narrow channel separating the eastern end of the island from the mainland to the eastward, and at high water available for the navigation of vessels of 14 feet draught to the inner passage of the Bay. The Western Entrance, which is about 25 miles to the east of Port Phillip Heads,Jies between Vie~>t Head and Grant Point, and is 3! miles wide between the Ten-feet Rock of West Head and the Black Rock of Grant Point, with depths from 72 to 90 feet in mid-channel, and 24 to 30 feet close to the shores on eithm: side. It is open and free from any hidden danger, easy of access, and affords sufficient room for vessels of any size to work in and out of the Bay.

From miles within the entrance, the Middle Bank on the west side of the fainvay reduces the navigable width to'' about 1 mile with 36 to 84 feet of water. The channel extends north­eastward between Phillip. Island and the Middle Bank to abreast of Sandy Point, where the water divides into two arms, the northern one flo,ving north and east along the west and north sides of French Island, and the eastern arm flowing eastward and 'north-eastward along the south-east shore of French Island.

The north arm, from its entrance between Sandy Point and the spit from Tortoise Head, where it is 1 mile wide, trends northerly 10 miles to Watson's Inlet, increasing to 3 miles in width between the Inlet and a point at the north end of ]french Island. This north arm has a navigable channel of three-quarters of a mile in width ·with 36 to 48 feet of water, for a distance of 7 miles from Sandy Point to the mainland adjacent to Long Island.

The east arm lies between Phillip Island and French Island and the mainland to the eastlvard. Excepting for about 3 miles from its junction with the north arm, this channel, which has numerous shallows and spits with only 8 to 12 feet of water over them, is O:nly suitable for the navigation of vessels of 14 feet draught at high water.

11

ANCHORAGES.

Vessels may ride Westernport Bay secure from all winds. There is anchorage protect~d from southerly and south-westerly winds at a quarter of a, mile eastward from Sandy Point m 42 feet of water, and good anchorage from all weather half a mile oft Observation Point in 48 feet of water, and also in feet from half to one mile eastward of Cowes, 'about half a mile from the shore, from southerly, south-westerly, and south-easterly weather.

)\TESTERNPORT BAY JETTIES.

Of the many jetties to be found in Westernport Bay oniy those at Stony Point, San Remo, and Cowes, Phillip Island, are in adequately serviceable use.

THE PoiNT JETTY.

Stony Point jetty, which is of light hardwood construction, and reported to be generally in good order for existing traffie, is situated on the mainland at the terminus of the railway lihe on the north ~mn of the eastern shore. It is feet in length, with a " T " head feet long by a width of 10 feet. is a deptjh of feet of water at the outer end of the It was erected in 1888 1J,t a cost of £1,550, and with and renewals of the superstructure (£3,000) a total of £4,550 has expended upon it.

A 3-feet gauge tramway runs from the dock at the rear of the " down" end of the p~1ssenger railway platform ::md from a recently constructed goods platform to the pier-head. Goods from railway trucks and passengers' are transferred to trollies at the dock, and a,re moved manually to the boat moored at the of the pier. With existing conditions great congestion and confusion occur, causing much inconvenience and discomfort to boat passengers.

proposal to improvements to the pier, at a, cost of £4,000, to permit of loaded railway trucks being moved bv horse-power is under consideration. To enable trucks of 25-ton burden or even 16-ton t~ be run on the pier the superstructure would have to be remodelled and very grea,tly strengthened and the piles braced.

The plan provides for the replacing of the 3-feet tramway by a track of 5 ft. 3 gauge to extend from the existing dead-end of the main line to the end of the pier, to permit goods to be handled at the ship's side. order to deal with luggage and goods in quantities less than truck loads, trollies for the broad-gauge line would be provided.

As the pier is only 10 feet wide, and as the vvidth of a railway truck is approximately 9 feet, it would be necessary for the safety of passengers either to provide a 5-feet-wide gangway the full length of the pier (914 feet;), or to make provision for refuges, 12 feet long by 5 feet vvide, at distances of about 108 feet. ·

The regrading of the meta1Ied approach road to the pier on the west side of the line, and also the widening of the pier at the shore end to provide a suitable access for motor vehicles to reach the pier, would also be necessary.

estimated cost the proposed works was given as follows :-

Strengthening pier, including provision for trollies and escapes Alterations and additions to tracks . . . . . .

If gangway for pedestrians were provided

£ 2,743

649

3,392 600

3,992

It was mentioned that there was a proposal under consideration to employ the shipping trade between the mainland and Phillip Island a vessel capable of conveying motor vehicles.

. Local opinion was generally unfavorable to the proposed reconditioning of pitlr, and It was contended that such a step would be decidedly retrogressive to the interests of the district as a whole.

While conceding that more economic handling of goods to and produce from Phillip Island would result, and better conveniences be provided for the gro,ving tourists' tha,n at present, it is to be feared that such expenditure will prove only a palliative and against e?'rnes~ consideration being to the project to give a sea outlet to int_;rstate markets and -tne shipment of produce overseas. ·

12

CowEs JETTY, PHILLIP IsLAND.

The Cowes jetty, situated on the northern shore of Phillip Island, is 400 feet in length, with an" I," head 190 feet long and 25 feet wide, with a depth of 13 feet at the outer extremity. It was erected in 1870 at a cost of £900, and with additions and repairs (£6,200), the total cost has been £7,100. · .

Conditions at this jetty are somewhat limited, especially to cope with the tourists' traffic. It was stated that an expenditure estimated at £3,000 was contemplated to recondition and extend the facilities at the pier, but the work had been allowed to stand over pending the proposed adaptation of the Stony Point jetty for the use of railway trucks.

TA~KERTO~ JETTY,- FRENCH Isr .. AND. '

' Tankerton jetty, which is situated about 1?J miles north of Tortoise Head, on the south-west corner of French Island, is 735 feet long, with a depth of about 2 feet at low water at the outer end. It was erected in 1888 at a cost of £200, and .with additions and repairs, the total cost has ~mounted to £1,080. Chicory and seaweed are eonveyed by boats to the steamer, which anchors m deeper water.

It appears that in the past jetties--one almost, and the other quite, useless.--were built at Newhaven and I..~ong Point, the last site being selected, it was stated, to suit the convenience of the owner of the steamer which, some years B,go, ran between Stony Point and Phillip Island, but when the ownership of the service changed hands it fell into disuse.

The population of French Island was given at 130 souls. The complaint of the residents is that passengers and goods have to be transhipped from the steamer, lying off the Ta,nkerton jetty, by a small boat in order to reach the shore. It was seriously stated that if not given better shipping facilities French Island would be abandoned, _as already the Jack of reasonable communication with the mainland had caused several people to leave the place.

The residents are agbrrieved that so much money was wasted in the past upon the useless jetty at ·F.jong Point to the detriment of shipping facilities at Tankerton. J\!Ir. G. Kermode admitted that there was justification for some expenditure in this connexion. He stated that improvement works had been planned at an estimated cost of £2,000, and on two occasions tenders had been invited for the work, and on one the lowest received amounted to £2,600. The latest proposal put forward was that, if the residents were agreeable to pay interest and sinking fund contributions on the cost involved over a period of five years, the carrying out of improved works would be eonsidered. Considering the need for decentralization, the sparsity of numbers, and the continual fight for a bare existence on the part of these French Island settlers, together with the fa et that a special Act of Parliament would be necessary, your Commissioners cannot subscribe to the course suggested, and >vill submit a recommendation in this connexion.

MINOR JETTIES IN WESTERNPORT BAY.

The long, tortuous and narrow channels leading to several of the small jetties make access to them very difficult. A vessel of any draught making for any of these ports is apt, vvith the fall of the tide, to be stranded on mud banks until the next high tide oecurs.

FLINDERS JETTY.

Flinders jetty, sitllated half a mile within \Vest Head, on the eastern shoreat the Western Entrance, is 1,070 feet long and 13 feet wide, with 8! feet depth at the outer end at low water. It was erected in 1864 at a cost of £600, and with additions and repairs (£3,400) the total cost has amounted to £4,000. It is used for trading purposes.

HASTINGS JETTY.

Hastings jetty is. situated in a bay on the eastern shore of the north arm. It is 300 feet long, with an "L " head of 77 feet, on the outside of which there is a depth of. 6 feet. The jetty is reached by water through a tortuous channel1! miles long, with a depth decreasing from 21 feet at its entrance to 6 feet ~t the jetty. It cost £590 when erected in 1864, and with other expenditure the total cost has been £1,390. It is used as a fishing fleet base.

13

FAIRHAVEN BoAT JETTY.

Fairhaven boat jetty is on the north-west shore of French Island, and is 400 feet long. At high water there is a depth of 4 to 5 feet at the outer end, but when the tide is out the water recedes for about 300 yards beyond the outer end. It cost £250 when erected in 1908, the complete cost being £300. It is used for passenger service.

TOORADIN J'ETTY.

Tooradin jetty, on the northern shore of Westernport Bay, is 75 feet long, with a" T" head of 64 feet, and a depth of 2 feet at the outer end at low water. Since its erection in 1889 it has cost £440. It is used for the purpose of fishing and boating.

LANG IJANG .JETTY.

I..Jang Lang jetty, situated on the mainland of the eastern shore of the Bay about 2 miles north of Passage Point, is 400 feet long, and dry at low water, but at high tide there is a depth of about 6 feet. Erected in 1890, its total cost has been £350. It is used for trading and passenger serVIces.

GRANTVILLE JETTY.

~rhis jetty, about 5 miles east of Settlement Point on the eastern shore of the Bay, is 380 feet long, 1vith a "T " end of 46 feet long, where there is a depth of 10 feet at low water. It was erected in 1884, and to date has cost £1,170. It is availed of for trading purposes.

SAN REMO JETTY.

San Remo jetty, inside the Eastern Entrance, is 190 feet long with a " T " end of 65 feet, on the outside of which there is a depth of 10 feet at low water. It dates from 1871, and the total cost has been £1,600. It is used for trading and passenger services.

Requests have been made to straighten and deepen the inner passage of the eastern entrance or channel leading from the Bay to San Remo, which, in places has only a depth of 7 feet at low water, making navigation impossible for a vessel drawing 7 to 8 feet when the tides are low.

Such inconvenience would be greatly removed if the channel were deepened to 9 feet 6 inches, which depth would allow a larger and more commodious vessel to engage in the trade. The cost of such improvements to the channel is officially estimated at £5,500.

RHYLL JETTY.

Rhyll jetty is on the north-east corner of Phillip Island. It is 300 feet long, and has a depth of 9 feet at low water on the outside, Since its erection in 1876 it has cost £610. It is used for trading and passenger services.

NEWHAVEN JETTY.

It is situated on the south-east corner of Phillip Island, and is used for trading and passenger senrices. It has cost £1,065 since built in 1874.

QUEENSBERRY JETTY.

This jetty lies on the eastern shore of the mainland. In all it cost £870, but is now abandoned.

LoNG PoiNT JET'l'Y.

This jetty, situated on the south shore of French Island, was erected in 1908. It now lies abandoned. Its total cost was £880.

SETTLEMENT PoiNT.

Situated on the eastern shore, this jetty, used for trading purposes, has cost £800.

CAPITAL AND MAINTENANCE COST OF .vVESTERN.PORT BAY SERVICES.

CAPITAL CosT.

The expenditure on all services may be summed up as follows Construction cost of 15 jetties (£9,375); additions and repairs (£16,880);

total cost to 1928 Lights, beacons, buoys (estimated value)

£ 26,255 5,265

31,520

14

For the five years (1922~23 to 1926-27) the total revenue amounted to £693, while the total maintenance expenditure was £10,661.

Of the total expenditure of £10,661, the amount of £6,900 was expenditure incurred in 1926-27 on extensions and improvements at the jetties at Stony Point and Cowes. The expenditure given does not include interest and depreciation on harbour works constructed out of loan money. ·

The estimated value of lights, beacons and buoys under the control of the Ports and Harbours Branch is £5,265, and the annual expenditure in maintenance is set down at £260.

NAVIGATION FACILITIES IN THE BAY.

. As indicating the improvements made for the safe navigation of the entrances and .channels of Westernport Bay, it was stated that five years ago it was not possible for a vessel to venture within its waters from the ocean after darkness had set in. is now well lighted, and all necessary attention has been given to assist small craft coming from Tasmania and the islands in Bass Strait, and seeking shelter in the Eastern Entrance dur]ng heavy weather. Vessels can no~ enter the Bay during the worst weather at any time during day or night, irrespective of the-tide.

W""ESTERNPORT BAY AS AN AUXILIARY OVERSEAS PORT TO MELBOURNE.

During the time your Commissioners were engaged in . pursuing their investigations concerning the five outer ports on which reports were presented and became the subject of legislation, several references as to the :pre-eminent physical advantages possessed by Western­port Bay for the development of an overseas port as an auxiliary or even a potential rival to the Melbourne port were made. · ·

The imaginations of residents and others had been caught by its complete freedom of · ingress and egress in all conditions of weather. The great.depths of water existing in places close proximity to the shore of the mainland, offering unrivalled advantages for the economical construction and subsequent maintenance of wharfs for the use of vessels of any tonnage trading to oversea markets, the sweeping expanses of fine anchorages, and the broad land areas suitable for storage purposes and manufacturing sites strongly appealed to some minds.

Starting with the suggestion, subsequently acknowledged to be untenable economically, that the port should be made the mainland termini for the Tasmanian goods and passenger

·. services to save the time now occupied in a ship's run from the Heads to the City wharf, the argument assumed the greater dimensions just mentioned. The point raised was that, as the apparent trend in ships' construction was in the direction of increasing the draught of ocean­going vessels in keeping with the greater burthen, the enormous cost which would be entailed in deepening the Port Phillip Heads entrance and the Bay channels would be avoided this connexion by utilizing W esternport Bay.

Marine authorities, while conceding that some years ago ship construction trended in the direction referred to, stated that now, within reasonable llmits, the policy appeared to be to build "shirs to suit the ports, rather than to make the ports suit the ships." This feature was instanced when it was stated that increased tonnage of a vessel did not necessarily mean a commensurately greater draught. A ship may be built 'With a draught of 40 feet to carry a certain amount of cargo, while another design of a heavy ship with feet draught may carry the same amount of cargo. While the former type of vessel would require a channel 4 to 5 feet deeper than other v:essels of the same tonnage but lesser draught, it was questionable whether the Australian port authorities would set themselves out to suit the first type of " freak ships," which would represent but a fraction of the total shipping tonnage to these ports.

In dealing with the navigable depths of channels leading to the piers in Hobson's Bay, the river Yarra and the Victoria Dock, the depth of feet L.,V.O.S.T. at Port Phillip Heads is considered by the Melbourne Harbour Trust to be sufficient. This depth, which admits of the safe navigation of vessels of a draught of 35 feet, has already been provided over a width of 1,000 feet, and is being increased to a width of 1,500 feet. A depth of 37 feet L.W.O.S.T. is being provided in the main channel and at Port :VIelbourne and Williamstown piers. T~e greater part of this deepening of the" channel has been accomplished, and feet has already been provided over its full length and width. The estimated time to complete the main channel to 37 feet for the full width of 600 feet is between five and six years, based on the assumption that one dredger only would be employed in this work.

15

In regard to the maintenance of these depths it is stated that experience shows that comparatively small quantities of silt drift into the main channel, and it is not anticipated that the maintenance costs will ever become heavy.

Vessels using the Suez Canal, it was pointed out, are limited to a draft of 32 feet. It has been stated that it is proposed to increase the depth of the Canal to 39 feet owing to the construction of the Panama Canal to a depth of 41 feet.

The standards of depth set up by the two great inter-oceanic canals must have an ever­increasing influence upon trade to Australian ports. To satisfy the demai1ds for the faster transportation of passengers and mails, and for lower freights economic laws will require the use of vessels of greater dimensions. This is markedly evident in the case of the leviathan passenger and passenger-cargo ships, some of which draw as much as 40 feet of water, engaged in the trade between Europe and\ America.

Ships owners are ever seeking to employ larger and still larger vessels when at all justified by passenger and cargo business. A vessel for cargo only can stow 12,000 toPs of dead weight loading on a draft of 30 feet, and the requisite harbour depth can be economically provided. While in some quarters it has been mooted that a limit of the draft of vessels should be arrived at to insure that harbour authorities should have some knowledge of their financial responsibilities, the feeling is strong that the use of vessels of greater burthen and draft are essential to economic running in the future.

There are very few ports in the world possessed of natural depths capable of adequately taking a vessel drawing 40 feet, but \Vesternport Bay is one. As the primary and secondary resources of Australia are more fully developed later in this generation, it may be that vessels up to a draft of 37 feet may be engaged in our world's export trade. Even now the superb natural advantages of this easily accessible and sheltered inlet could serve the valuable purpose of a '~topping-up " station, with economic benefits to producers and exporters, for vessels which by reason of their heavy draft cannot fully complete their loadings in Hobson's Bay. . In any case the proposition put forward for the initial development of a deep-water port, if carried out, would provide an auxiliary export outlet to the districts of Eastern Victoria in the same decentralizing way that Portland will eventually cater for the widely productive areas of \Vestern Victoria.

¥1hen your Commissioners became seized vvith the different bearings of this investigation the larger proposition was practically dropped, and the substituted claim for harbour development resolved itself into the provision of wharfage accommodation adequate only for the berthing of one overseas vessel at the outset. By reason of the great depth of water existing in close proximity to the mainland, it was argued that such works could be economically constructed, to provide shipping facilities equally suitable for a large overseas boat as well as for the type of coasting steamer which would be induced to load farm and vegetable produce for interstate markets, gathered from the Mornington Peninsula and contiguous Gippsland districts; and, pending harbour development at the Gippsland Lakes and W elshpool, even from the more remote Gippsland areas.

A WESTERNPORT HARBOUR.

ITs CLAIMS TO REcOGNITION.

The investigation of the proposal to establish a harbour at a suitable site on \Vesternport Bay was found to be fraught with difficulties not hitherto encountered in the course of the several investigations into outer ports conditions previously made by your Commissioners. Features distinct in many respects frqm the circumstances then commonly put forward were met with. P!eviously, the main issue in every case appeared from a marine engineeTing aspect and the hmterlands to be served by local port development embraced areas easily capable of tributary definition, except, perhaps, as eiperience may indicate, in the case of the outer fringe of shires defined in the schedule of the Harbour Boards Act as being tributary to a port at vVelshpool.

This investigation into the circumstances which would justify the consideration of harbour works expenditure at 'Vesternport Bay therefore stands appositely to the previous inquiries, and rests upon an entirely different base. In fact, the marine aspect, which, with the exception of vVelshpool, was a dominating factor at all other outer ports, needed little attention, as the physical conditions obtaining in Westernport Bay are invariably acknowledged to approach perfection from navigation, econcmical construction of harbour ,,-orks, and harbour and general maintenance considerations. Each of the two eligible port sites, with great depth of water onlv a few cables' length from the shore, so situated as to be capable of sheltered berthing at a ~harf of vessels of the hugest burthen and draught, stand in a pristine state.

16

The purpose of the investigation was, therefore, concentrated upon a broad study of potential economic conditions extending beyond those existing on the Mornington Peninsula, which was first put forward as the country to be served, to those of certain areas in nearer Gippsland. The intention has been to ascertain whether producers of commodities which enter into the export trade to interstate and oversea markets were likely to be benefited by more favorahle railway freights, and, of more substantial value, by direct and unhampered transportation of produce to a ship's side, enjoy a much-needed saving that would result from fewer and eheaper handling charges than necessarily obtain in the heavily-congested metropolitan channels.

The first consideration is evidenced by the series of comparative railway freight tables to different export outlets appearing further on in this Report. The second economic influence can only, at this stage, be generally assumed as likely to confer appreciable benefit upon producers of exportable foodstuffs, &c., if a port be constructed at Westernport Bay, with easy access, and equipped with modern loading facilities. A further essential would be provision for ample storage for fruit and other produce in such a way asto enable quick despatch to be given to ships.

SITES FOR HARBOUR WORKS.

There are two sites on the mainland of \N esternport Bay~-Long Island and Crib Point­both recognized as being eminently suitable for the development of harbour works. At each locality exceptional depth of water approaches closely to the shore, and this condition would make for economy in construction and subsequent maintenance. Both occupy situations protected from adverse weather conditions and give easy access by rail and road. In either case marine opinion indicated that once whatever dredging found to be required was carried out there would be little likelihood of maintenance work of the same nature ever recurring. .

' Another locality mentioned was one at Sandy Point, but objection against its selection

was raised that while deep water approached a little nearer to the land than at the other two localities mentioned, vessels lying at a wharf would be exposed to a south-westerly roll. A further objection was th;1t in order to reach the point it would be necessary to pass through the Naval Base reservation. A place near Flinders was rejected as unsuitable for the purpose owing to its exposure to the ocean swell. ·

The selection of a site for a potential harbour was accordingly narrowed down to the Long Island and Crib Point sites. For the purposes of comparison only, and certainly not to suggest at this stage preference for either locality, but merely to standardize the series of comparative freight tables to a local port and to l\:Ielbourne destinations, the latter locality has been chosen.

In close vicinity to both places an abundance of material such as enters into harbour construction work is to be found. Ample land is available for stmage purposes and as sites for industrial Ui!ldertakings on any scale ; provision already exists for a permanent water supply drawn from the State Rivers and \Vater Supply Commission Mornington Peninsula scheme, and the area is reticulated by the Electricity Commission.

Mr. Kermode indicated a preference for the Long Island site, which he considered would offer greater opportunities if land reclamation were made to give more room for the establishment of storages, &c., immediately at the back of the island. He stated that though there would be slightly :~pore shelter at Long Island than at Crib Point, there was not niuch in the question, as the weather conditions at either place would not be sufficient to disturb vessels lying at a wharf.

In the event of four-berth accommodation, or berthing for even one large vessel, the construction costs at either place would be of the same amount,&s deep water was to be found very close inshore-at both localities, and 5 fathoms depth was reached almost immediately, although it would be necessary to go a little further than this distance.

There were no difficulties in the way of land approach to either place, and the Long Island scheme with very little alteration would be equally as satisfactory as a scheme at the Crib Point site.

Thus it will be seen that from the Departmental view, and also from the constructional and railway aspects, there is little difference between the Long Island and Crib Point sites. Both situations would as readily and effectively serve the prcducjng interests of the Mornington Peninsula and contiguous areas tributary to such a sea depot. In addition, the cost of securing rail and road connexions with either site would be practically the same.

17

ESTL\t[ATED COST OF A ONE-BERTH PIER AT WESrrER:l\!>ORT BAY.

The scheme submitted by the Ports and Harbours Department proposed a wharf giving four-berth accommodation which would involve an estimated expenditure of £310,000, apart from the cost of the proposed cross-country railway to link up the two main Gippsland lines with the port-,a feature primarily essential to the project: However, it is fitting to state that the Eng1..neer for Ports and Harbours was firmly opposed to any proposal to furnish provision for wharfage for the use of ocean-going shipping. He considered that the facilities provided for and in course of development by the Melbourne Harbour Trust would always be ample to meet any such demand. This opposition was evinced before the investigation was carried from the Mornington Peninsula into the contiguous Gippsland districts. He also expressed opposition to the idea of providing minor wharfage provision capable of berthing only one vessel for export commodities.

As your Commissioners at the outset rejected from consideration the scheme submitted making provision for a four-berth wharf at a cost estimated at £310,000, an a111ended plan \Yas substituted to provide for a wharf providing one-berth accommodation capable of enabling an oversea boat to moor thereat, especially in connexion with the export of fruit overseas. Given such berthage, the requirements of intersi;ate traders, en route to Australian ports, would be adequately met.

The following estimated cost of a one-berth wharf, which would be capable of any extension to meet future demands, was submitted by the Engineer for Ports and Harbours:-

Berthing pier, 500 feet long by 36 feet wide, \vith a depth of 38 feet, L.W.O.S.T.

Approach jetty, 1,500 feet long by 22 feet "'ide Shed, 150 feet by 50 feet . . . . . .

CROSS-COUNTRY RAILWAY CONNEXIONS.

£

19,000 30,000 5,000

54,000

The suggested cross-country connexions to link up the Eastern and South-eastern railway lines the Stony Point line, together with the approxin1ate length of the new railway construction, are indicated in the sketch plan which appears as an Appendix. This is the basic feature on which the port proposition rests.

The following estimates of the cost of construction of alternative railway lines to connect with either of the proposed port sites at W esternport Bay were submitted by the Railway Department.

For the purpose of discussion the route via Pakenham to Clyde has been taken.

~

Long Island Yort Site-Pakenham to Clyde . . Clyde to Long Island Site Long Island to Tya.bb ..

Crib Point Port Site­Pakenham to Clvde

.. . .

.. . .

. . ,, .

to Tyabb • . . . . . . Junction v;,'ith Stony Point Line to Crib

Point Site ..

Length-Miles.

10 14 2

26

10 13!

2!

25!

Rate per Mile.

£

7,500 7,000

11,000

..

7,500 7,000

Total.

£

75,000 98,000 22,000

195,000

75,000 94,509

22,500

192,000

The estimates of constructional cost have been prepared for lines with 15 feet formation, secondhaud 80-lb. rails for main line, secondhand 60-lb. rails for sidings, 10-in. by 5 in. sleepers, ballast 6 inches thick under sleepers boxed up to 10 inches. Provision has also been made for a turntable siding at Pakenllam, additional sidings at Clyde and Tyabb, and a mile of sidings at the proposed port.

12828.--2

18

GATHERING GROUNDS FOR INTERSTATE AND OVERSEAS EXPORTS. . The area regarded as b?in~ geographically and economically tributary from the railway

freight aspect to an export sh1ppmg port on the shore of vVesternport Bay was approximately delimited subject to the construction of a cross-country railway from Pakenham, on the South­eastern line; via Clyde on the Southern lhae, and via Tyabb on the Stony Point line, thence to I...~ong Island or Crib Poinij, the two sites favoured for a deep sea port, as follow:-

All stations on the " down " side of the Frankston line, and the Mornington Peninsula as a whole.

On the main Gippsland line, all stations east of Hallam to :J!Iorwell, including branch lines. On the Southern line, all stations east of Lyndhurst to Korumburra, including all

branch lines. The rough delineation of tributary area suggested extends as far as Morwell on the

main Gippsland railway. The area scheduled in the Harbor Boards Act 1927 as including the rating sphere of the, Welshpool Harbour Board when constituted, embraces the shires of Alberton, Mirboo, Morwell, South Gippsland, Traralgon, and Woorayl, and the suggested inclusion of a portion of this area is to be viewed accordingly.

The suggested inclusion of the areas mentioned has a definite bearing on the refusal registered at recent conferences concerning the establishment of Harbour Boards to function for the development of the Gippsland Lakes area, and the Welshpool port districts. In the latter case the proposition was rejected on the majority vote of the delegates, but it is surmised that this decision may not fully reflect the view of the bulk of. the ratepayers in the shires concerned in the light of the potential developments arising from the W esternport harbour proposition brought forth in this Report.

Parliament, in the Harbour Boards Act of 1927, endorsed and put forward the very moderate conditions for the application of a useful measure of self-help in the initial development of an actual on the way to decentralization, so long appealed for by country interests, as recommended by your Commissioners. The principle adopted was a distinct departure from centralized control and administration, with little knowledge and small appreciation of local interests to served as .a whole. When this measure of self-government was promulgated in the various outer ports areas in the course of the taking of evidence it was warmly welcomed. ·

Being the sponsors for this decentralizing principle, which it was hoped would lead to the realization of local aspirations, your Commissioners have keenly interested themselves observing the efforts made to apply the principles of the Harbour Boards Act to outer ports areas. instance, in Gippsland tlie evidence was burdened with the complaillt, when reasons were. sought for its backwardness as compared with other parts of the State, that the absence of the progress hoped for was due to the need of harbour facilities to enable shipments of produce, so variously and abundantly grown, to be made to the favorably-situated markets at Sydney and Brisbane.

would be disappointing in the extreme to those who are earnestly lookillg for the greater welfare of the rich portion of Gippsland embraced within the boundaries allotted by the Act to the proposed W elshpool Harbour Board if action be not taken to determine whether the refusal to take advantage of the beneficent powers conferred actually rests solely upon the disillclination of the ratepayers as a majority to have jmposed upon themselves what really amounts to a small betterment rate. In any case, the position as it now stands in'0'ites a considemtion of the proposed W esternport export depot to determine whether economic benfjits may accrue to the districts 'Which would mainly be concerned.

RAIL-WAY DISTANCE A~"D FREIGHT COMPARISONS rro PORT DESTINATIONS.

On the assumption that the suggested cross-country railway connexions to. the two maill Gippsland lilies with the Stony Point railway with a short line to a port on Westernport Bay, be provided, the follo\ving series of comparativ<t. tables present a comprehensive study of distances and freight rates from the whole of Gippsland forwarding stations to export destinations. . The site at Crib Point, as already stated, has been selected as the standard of oomparison to avoid the necessity of double calculations if the Long Island site were .also included. Actually there would be a negligible difierence in freight charges between the two sites. Classes of goods exported to illterstate markets, such as fruit, butter, baeon, cheese, eggs, honey, potatoes, onions, vegetables, fodder, &c., are referred to. ·

]'ruit-growing areas served by the Blackburn-Healesville, }It. Evelyn-Gembro~k, and Hallam-Officer railway lines were regarded by some witnesses as being, to some extent, tnbutary to. the prop.osed Mornington Penillsula Port. However, it is ~dic~ted in ~he fi~st table that rmlway freight rates are more favorable to Melbourne destmatwns. Still, this factor ::nay be outweighed by an appreciable reduction of handlillg charges as compared with centralized transportation.

I9

It should be no,ted that the extra cost of forvvarding produce to the cool stores at Victoria Dock and elsewhere is due to a shunting charge being made. For produce in truck loads for export from country stations the extra rate, in addition to the tariff rate to Melbomne, are, per ton­City .Market and Victorian Butter Factory's siding, 2s. 3d.; Government Cool Stores, Victoria Dock, Is. Id. ; fruit for export, Is. Id. ; and for all other produce, including potatoes, the additional rate is Is. 4d. per ton.

There would be no shunting charge at a port at Crib Point, as produce would be in same category as at Port Melbourne and \Villiamstown, to which places only the ordinary tariff rate applies;

The freight comparisons are generally in favour of the site at Westernport respect of traffic via Pakenham on the main Gippsland railway and via Clyde on the South-eastern railway to the sea termini in both cases, and also from stations on the Mornington railway on the " down " side.

The following statements show distances and freight rates for fruit, butter, potatoes, and onions from the undermentioned stations to Melbourne, Port Melbourne, and Victoria Dock, 'vith a comparison of correspond,ing rates to a proposed port at Crib Point or Long Island, on the shore of \Vesternport Bay, assuming that a railway connexion via Pakenham on the Eastern line and Clyde on the South-eastern line, linking up with the Stony Point line near Tyabb, and a short branch line from the Stony Point line to the proposed port, were provided:-

PER ToN

(Not including loading or unloading).

A ton weight of railway freight contains 40 cases of fruit, average weight of about 44lb.

Station,

Black burn Mite ham Ringwood Croydon Mooroolbark Lily dale Yarra Glen Hea!esville ll-1ount Evolyn Wandin Yarra Junction .. Warburton Bayswater Upper Gully Bolgrave* Gem brook* Hallam .. N arre Warren Berwick Beaconsfiold Officer ..

l!'rankston I~angwarrin Baxt<Jr .. lYioorooduo Mornington Somerville Tyabb .. Hastings Bittern .. Crib Point Stony Point Balna;rring Merricks Red Hill'

27-,t 30;f 32 1

. ]!"

35! 40t

35 I 37-,t 40t 43

}Ielbourne.

5 2 5 IO 7 5 8 l 4 I 4 7 5 2 7 5 4 7 5 2 5 2 5 IO 510

5 2 5 10 5 10 6 4 611 6 4 6ll 611 7 5 8 l I 8 1 1 8 1 8 8

Fruit Export,

also Potatoes

and Onions.

8. d. 3 {} 3 0 3 4 3 4 3 7 3ll 4 7 5 8 4 1 4 7 511 6 8 3 4 3]1 4 1 5 8 311 a u 4 1 4 1 4 7

4 1 4 7 4 7 5 1 5 8 5 1 5 4 5 8 5ll 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 8 6 9

Cool Stores, Port

Victoria )Ielbourne. Dock.

Frnit Export.

8. d. 4 1 4 1 4 5 4 5 4 8 5 0 5 8 6 9 5 2 5 8 7 0 7 9 4 5 5 0 5 2 6 9 5 0 5- 0 5 2 5 2 5 8

Mites. Fruit Export.

s. rl. 3 0 3 0 3 4 3 7 3 ll 4 I 4 7 5 8 4 7 4 7 511 6 9 3 7 311 4 l 511 3 ll 4 1 4 l 4 7 4 I

Momington Pen!nsula 5 2 5 8 5 8 6 2 6 9 6 2 6 5 6 9 7 0 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 9 7 10

29! : 32! i 341:' 37t 42

54t

4 I 4 7 5 I 5 4 5 8 5 4 5 8 5 11 511 6 2 6 6 8 6 9 7 1

To Proposed Site at Crib Point, via

Fraukston.

Miles. 1

161 13 ll,} 14! 19

15!

Frnit Export,

alsn Potatoes

and Onions.

8. d. 6 9 6 9 7 5 7 5 7 5 7 8 8 3 9 1 8 1 8 3 9 l 910 7 5 7 8 7 8 9 l 5 1 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 1

3 4 3 0 3 0 3 0 3 4 210 2 10 210 2 10 210 210 2 10 3 0 3 0

~- ~· ~· ~· : ~· ~- ~ (~ 39 28,39 411 41 30141 5 4130 310 64 310 29'36 64 39'28 37 611 38127 38 810 35,24 35101 4 0 2 ll 3 6 3 38 27 38 810 32 2132118 3 ') 2 1 3 1 12 3 4 l I 3 0 I 3 10 6 4 397128 :~ 611 3 26'37 76 35 24 32110 12 0112 Oil 15 0413 76 13,0213 76 13102!09 83 o 6 I -7 I o 6 s w

fa.vour of Crib Point by/

o 9 1 10 1 o o 7 6 17 281171.83 l 7 2 8 2 l 8 10 2 1 3 2 2 4 9 8 24 35 24110 2 3 3 4 2 6 9 8 2 3 7 2 10 10 1 2101311 31ll0 31!42 31110 34 45 341JS 3 4 4 5 3 12 3 4 4 5 3 10 12 3 8 4 9 3 9 12 9 39 410 41 1::!9

being

s. d. 12 9 13 9 14 0 15 0 15 0 15 5 17 8 18 Hl 9 17 8 19 6 20 ll 15 0 15 5 16 4 19 9 8

10 1 10 l 9 8 9 8

5 4 4 7 4 7 411 5 4 4 1 4 1 4 l 4 l 4 l 4 1 4 1 4 7 4ll

• Plus ls. Id. per ton transler charge. t Via Dandenong-Ciyde-Crib Point. t Via Pakenham-Clyde-Crib Po.int.

8. d. 8 2 8 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 6 8 10 8 8 8 G 8 10 7 10 8 8 8 8 8 6 8 10 8 6 2 9 2 7 2 7 I 5 0 10

2 2 3 8 4 :J 4 9 5 8 5 7 6 0 611 611 7 7 8 2 8 2 8 2 810

20

The 1Vlain Gippsland Raihmy.

Butter in Ton J,ots.'

Melbourne. Port Melbourne.

To Proposed Site at Crib Point, via

Proposed Line Pakenham-Ciyde­

Crib Point.

Freight Rutes in favour of Crib Point as against-

Mel­bourne.

Crib Ill

Point, ,

s:.ation.

Fruit Miles. Ordin:

-------~,-- ·-···--·---8. d. ' 8. d. ! 8. d. . 8. d.

Pakenbam NarNar Goon Tynong Garfield Bunyip ..

6 4 1 5 4 6 5 38! 5 4 29£ 6 ll I 5 8 6 9 42it 5 11 34:!; 1 5 I o 11 1 o 46 6 2 37~ 81 62 73 48;\- 68 40 8 6 6 8 7 9 51f 6 9 42t 8 6 6 9 7 10 53.¥; 7 1 451

. . on 9 10 7 5 8 6 69! 1 5 50£ Warragui 62f I' 10 3 7 8 8 9 64 7 8 55! Nilma . . 64i 10 3 7 8 8 9 66 7 8 57! Damum 66..\- 10 8 8 1 9 2 68t 8 1 59-f Yarragm• 70" 11 5 8 3

1 9 4 71f 8 8 63t

Trafalgar i 75 Ill 10 9 0 1 10 1 I 76£ 9 0 68l Moo ' I 12 11 9 1 110 2 83 1 9 5 74~ lVforweil i . 14 0 1 9 10 ~~1! ~ 83!

1

;_L...;.il..:.lic..:..o.:...:......-.--- ~~--:-;!'-_7_8_ 8 9 67 8 1 58..\-1

I:lulnBuln mt I lO 8 8 1 9 2 69! 8 3 61~ Bravington 69! 1 11 8 3 9 4 71 8 3 62Jt Rokeby 70! ju 5 8 3 9 4 721 8 8 63-f Crossover 73! 1 11 10 8 8 9 9 75 · 9 0 66~ Neerim Sr,uth 75i ' 11 10 9 0 10 1 77! 9 1 69 Neerim . . SOl 12 5 9 I 10 2 82 9 I 73! Nayook 83f 12 11 9 5 10 6 85t 9 5 77 Noojee . . 89f 14 0 9 10 10 11 91! 10 1 83

Goading* Gould* .. Moondarra" Erica* .. Platina* Walhalla"*

David .. Coalvil!e Narra.cun Thorpdale Yallourn

84f 1 12 11 H!f 14 0 96 14 7 99! 15 2

103;1; 15 7 107;1; 15 11

85 12 ll 86! i 18 9 . 88! l 13 9 i 92Jl- I 14 0 88-} i 13 9

9 5 I 0 6 86! 9 10 78 1.0 1 11 :; 93,! lO 1 85 10 3. n 4 1 97! . 10 3 s9t 10 3 11 4 101! ! 10 3 92! 10 3 11 4 105 . 10 8 96,! 10 8 11 9 109 ! 10 8 l01t

9 5 910 9 10

101 9 10

10 6 lOll lOll 11 2 lOll

86-f 9 10 s8t .

1

9 10 901 10 1 94! ~ 10 3 I 9(}! I 10 1 ,

78! 79! 82

d. 1 1 4

5 8 511 6 2 6 9

9. d. 1 3 0 7 0 7 0 6 0 9 0 7 0 8

7 5 I 0 3 7 5 0 3 7 5 0 8 7 8 0 7 8 1 0 11 9 0 0 1 9 5 0 5

7 5 0 3 7 5 0 8 7 8 0 7 7 8 0 7 8 1 0 7 8 1 0 11

8 0 5 9 0 0 5 9 5 0 5

9 1 9 5 9 10

lO 1 10 3 10 3

9 1 9 1 9 1 9 5 9 I

0 4 I 0 8

0 5 0 2

0 5

0 4 0 9 0 9 0 8 I o 9 I

• Pins 9d. per ton Transfer Charge.

Cool St.ores,

Victoria Dock.

8. d. 2 4 1 8 1 8 1 7 1 10 I 8 l 9 1 4 1 4 1 9 1 8 2 0 1 2 1 6

1 4 1 9 I 8 1 8 1 8 2 0 1 6 1 6 1 6

I 5 1 9 1 6 1 3 1 l 1 6

1 5 1 10 1 10 1 9 1 10

0 8 0 10 0 7 1 0 011 1 0 0 5 0 5 0 8

via I Nearest : In Route. i favour

of Crib

J~oint.

8. d. 1 5 I 4 1 7 2 2 1 9 1 1 1 3 1 5 2 4 1 4 1 4 1 4 1 5 1 i)

16 4 15 0 1 4 16 9 15 0 1 9 16 9 15 ,5 1 4 17 8 15 5 2 3 18 1 16 4 1 9 18 1 16 9 1 4 19 6 18 1 1 5 20 2 18 9 I 5 21 7 20 2 ! 1 5

0 9 20 2 0 8 22 5 0 5 22 10 0 2 23 lO 0 5 24 1 0 5 2~ 0

18 9 20 2 21 7 22 5 22 lO 24 0

l 5 2 3 1 3 1 5 i 3 1 0

0 9 0 9 1 0 010 l 0

20 2 20 11 21 7 22 5 21 7

18 9 J 5 19 6 1 5 19 6 . 2 1 2011116 19 6 . 2 1

The foregoing freight tables apply only to the west ,of Morwell. If a port were established at W esternport and not at the Lakes Entrance consignors on the Gippsland line from beyond Morwell would effect some savings in railway freight, apart from lower handling charges, by using the proposed port for export of produce to Australian and oversea markets. However, in the event of a port the shipment of produce to intrastate and Australian markets being created at '\Velshpool, whatever benefits accruing from direct overseas export of fruit, butter, and other commodities would still obtain. :Traralgon LoyYang Flynn .. Roseda.Ie Kihnany Sale Stratford 1\<Iunro .. l<'ernbank Lindenow Hillside Baimsdale Nioholson Bumberah Moss if ace Bruthen Colquhoun Nowa Nowa 'Tostares Waygara Orbost ..

CowalT .. Dawson Heyfield Tinamba ll-ra.ffra .. Boisdale Bushy Park Briagolong

98J, 15 2 l02t 15 7 107 15 11 112! 16 6 120t 17 0 128-f 17 11 138! 18 11 145;!; 19 4 1531 20 2 160! 20 10 164 21 1 171! 21 11 177! 22 5 183-! 23 2 188L ' 23 5 19o! I "23 8 199! 124 7 208f 25 2 214! i 25 7 't

217! 1 25 8 2311! i 26 9 '

' 104t ;l'"'i.571 I 114t , 16 9 ·

118 116 11 121,\- 17 2 l27t ' 17 9 !32t 18 3 139! 18 11 141 19 1 144! 19 4

10 3 10 3 10 8 11 0 11 2 11 6 11 10 12 2 12 2 12 3 12 3 12 7 13 0 13 0 13 3 13 7 13 7 13 10 14 0 14 0 14 6 10 8 11 2 11 2 11 2 11 6 11 6 1110 11 10

. 11 10

I 11 4 I iOO! 10 3 91! i 11 4 1 104t

1

. 10 8 95! . 11 9 . 108! 10 8 lOO! 12 1 • 114 11 0 I05t 12 3 1122t 11 2 113-,i 12 7 130! 11 6 122 12 11 140f 11 10 ! 131! 13 3 147 12 2 I 138t 13 3 1551 12 3 146! 13 4 162 12 3 153t 13 41165£ 12 7 157!

I 13 s 173 12 1 164t 1 14 1 179i; . 13 0 170f • 14 1 I 185! • 13 3 176!

14 4 • 190 13 3 181t 14 8 I 192t 13 7 184 14 8 I 201 13 lO 192!-14 n 1 210 13 10 201~ 15 1 1 216 14 0 207Jt

115 1 I 219t 14 Q 211

I 15 7 I 233! 14 6 224-f . "119"' 1 1 o6t "''I8 '""li7f

12 3 I 116~ 11 2 108 12 3 ll9£ 11 2 lilt 12 3 123! 11 2 114,i 12 7 1291 11 6 120£ 12 7 134 11 6 125! 12 11 141 11 10 132;\ 12 u Ill 10 134;1; 12 u 12 2 1 137£

10 1 10 3 10 3 10 8 11 0 11 2 ll 6 ll 10 12 2 12 2 12 3 12 7 12 7 13 0 13 0 13 0 13 7 13 10 13 10 14 0 14 4 10 3 10 s 11 0 11 2 11 2 11 6 11 6 11 10 1110

0 2

0 5 0 4 0 2 0 4 0 4 0 4

0 1

0 5

0 3 0 7

I 0 2 I

'o"2l

1051 I o 6

i 0 .. 21 . 0 4

.. I 0 .. 41

•• I I

1 3 o 2 -1

23 10 1 22 5 1

1 5 1 1 0 5 . 24 1 . 22 10 • 1 3 1 6 0 5 24 9 23 10 0 11 l 5 0 4 25 8 24 7 1 1 1 3 0 2 26 11 25 10 1 1 1 5 0 4 • 28 4 27 2 1 2 15 0430328916 15 043011303 08 1 1 0 1 32 8 31 6 1 2 1 2 0 1 33 10 32 8 1 2 110434333310 11 35534411 1 6 0 5 36 7 35 3 1 4 1 1 0 3 37 10 36 7 • 1 3 1 4 0 3 38 3 37 2 1 1 1 s o 1 3s 9 37 10 1 o 11 110340039010 11 4011407 04 1 3 0 2 41 11 40 11 1 0 11 422417 07 1 3 o 2 I 43 s 43 o o 8 1 6 (}"""5 I 24"'"'3 "2:i"'TT 0'5 17 0626225012 13 0226725710 1 1 27 2 26 2 1 0 1 5 0 4 28 0 26 11 ! 1 1 1 29 0 27 11 1 1 15 0430329013 11 30629610 1 1 1 o .. 4 30 11 29 n 1 o

Station.

Lyndhurst Cran bonrne Clyde .. Tooradin Dalmore

Koo-Wee-Rnp Monomeith Caldermeade Lang Lang Nyora .. Loch Jeetho .. Ben a Whitelaw Kornmbnrra

Bayles .. Catani .. Yannathan Heathhill Athlone Topiram Triholm .. Strezlecki

Woodleigh Almurta Glen Forbes Woolamai Anderson Kilcunda Dalyston State Mine Wonthaggi •

Melbourne.

Miles.

24 28! 3Ii 36! 38!

42 44 46-l; 48! 56! 60 62-i 66 67! 69j

46! 50! 53! 55! 61 64! 67:{: 72!

Fruit, Ordin­ary.

s. d. 4 7 5 2 510 6 4 6 ll

7 5 7 5 8 I 8 1 9 1 9 10

IO 3 10 8 10 8 11 5

8 1 8 6 9 l 9 l 9 10

10 3 10 8 11 5

63! 10 3 68 ' 10 8 69! u 5 73! 11 10 77 ll 10 8lt 12 ll 83! I2 11 86f 13 9 87! 13 9

Fruit Export,

also Potatoes

and Onions.

8. d. 3 ll 4 1 4 7 5 4 5 4

5 8 511 6 2 6 8 7 5 7 5 7 8 7 8 8 l 8 3

6 2 6 9 7 1 7 5 7 5 7 8 8 1 8 8

7 8 8 1 8 3 8 8 9 0 9 1 9 5 910 9 10

21

The Sotdh-eastern Railways.

8. d. 5 0 5 2 5 8 6 5 6 5

6 9 7 0 7 3 7 9 8 6 8 6 8 9 8 9 9 2 9 4

7 3 7 10 8 2 8 6 8 6 8 9 9 2 9 9

8 9 9 2 9 4 9 9

10 1 10 2 10 6 10 11 10 11 1

Port Melbourne.

To PropOlled Site at Crib Point, via

D and the Line

ib Point.

Fruit I .1 Export. ' MI es.

Fruit Export,

Potatoes and

Onions.

25! 30 33! 38! 40

43! 45! 48 50 58! 61! 64! 67! 69! 71-!

48~ 52! 55 57! 62{ 66 69 74!

65 69! 71! 75 78! 83 85 88! 89

8. d. 311 4 1 4 7 5 4 5 8

5ll 6 2 6 2 6 8 7 5 7 8 7 8 8 l 8 3 8 8

6 8 6 9 7 1 7 5 7 8 7 8 8 1 9 0

7 8 8 3 8 8 9 0 9 1 9 5 9 5 9 10 910

27! 23! I9! 24! 26!

30 32 34t 36!; 44! 48 50! 54

34! 38£ 4li!; 43! 49 52:! 55! 60! 51! 56 57! 61:1 65 68! 71! 74! 75!

8. d. 4 1 311 3 4 311 4 1

4 I 4 7 5 1 5 4 511 6 2 6 9 7 l 7 5 7 5

5 l 5 4 5 8 5ll 6 8 6 9 7 5 7 5

6 9 7 5 7 5 7 8 7 8 8 1 8 8 9 0 9 0

0 2 I 3 I 5 1 3

7 4 1 4 6

1 3 Oil 0 7 0 8 0 10

I 5 5 6

0 9 011 0 8 1 3 '

011 0 8 0 10 l 0 l 4 1 0 0 9 0 10 0 10 i

8. d. 011 1 3 2 4 2 6 2 4

2 8 2 5 2 2 2 5 2 7 2 4 2 0

8 1 9 1 11

2 2 2 6 2 6 2 7 1 10 2 0 I 9 2 4

2 0 1 9 l 11 2 l 2 5 2 1 110 1 11 I 11

s. d. -2

0 2 I 3 I 5 I 7

1 10 1 7 I 1 1 4 1 6 1 6 011 I 0 010 1 3

Rate.

s. d. 611 8 3 810 9 8

10 I

11 0 ll 8 12 3 12 3 14 0 15 0 15 5 16 4 16 9 16 9

I 7 I2 3 1 5 12 9 1 5 13 9 I 6 14 0 1 0 15 0 0 11 16 4 0 8 16 9 1 7 17 8

0 11 15 5 0 10 16 9 1 3 16 9 1 4 18 1 1 5 18 9 1 4 19 6 0 9 20 2 0 10 0 10 20 11

Rate.

8. d. 7 6 6U 6 4 6U 7 6

8 3 8 10 9 8 9 8

ll 8 12 3 12 9 13 9 14 0 14 0

9 8 10 1 11 0 11 0 12 3 13 9 14 0 15 0

12 9 14 0 14 0 15 5 16 4 16 9 17 8

18 1

In favour

of Crib

Point.

8. d. 0 7 1 4 2 6 2 9 2 7

2 9 2 IO 2 7 2 7 2 4 2 9 2 8 2 7 2 9 2 9

2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 2 9 2 7 2 9 2 8

2 8 2 9 2 9 2 8 2 5 2 9 2 6

2 I()

The foregoing freight tables apply only to the west of Korumburra. If a port were not established at Welshpool consignors on the South-eastern railway from beyond Korumburra would effect the following savings, apart from lower handling charges, by using the proposed port for export purposes to Australian and oversea markets :-

Kardella Ruby .. L-eongatha Koonwarra Tarwin .. Meeniyan Stony Creek Buffalo .. Boys .. Fish Creek Hoddle .. Foster .. Bennison Toora .. Agnes .. Welshpool Hedley .. Gelliondale Alberton Yarram Devon .. Calrossie \Von Wron Napier .. Woodside

Yinnar .. Boolarra North Mirboo

Toongabbie

12828.-3

72! 75! 79 84 871; 89 91 95! 981

Iooi 103! 108! lllt 114! ll7! 120! 124! 130! 133! l37t 140! 142! 145! 151! 155

. 97!; 1 102 no

11 5 1110 12 6 12 ll 13 9 13 9 14 0 14 7 15 2 15 5 15 7 16 1 16 2 16 9 16 11 17 0 17 4 17 ll 18 6 18 9 19 1 19 3 19 4 20 0 20 4

15 2 15 5 16 1

108£ 16

8 8 9 0 9 1 9 5 9 IO 910

10 1 10 3 10 3 10 3 10 3 10 8 11 0 11 2 11 2 11 2 11 6 11 6 ll 6 11 10 11 10 11 10 12 2 12 2 12 3

10 3 10 3 11 0

9 9 : 10 1 . 10 2 10 6 10 ll lOll 11 2 ll 4 11 4 11 4 11 4 11 9 12 1 12 3 12 3 12 3 12 7 12 7 12 7 12 11 12 ·u 12 11 13 3 13 3 13 4

74! 77! 80£ 85! 89 90£ 92-i 97!

lOOt 102;j; 10fit 110 ll3 116! 1191 122! 126! 132 135!-139 142! 144! 147:!: 153:{: 156!

11 4 99 11 4 103! 12 1 Ill!

9 0 9 1 9 1 9 5 910

IO 1 10 I 10 3 10 3 10 3 10 8 11 0 ll 0 ll 2 ll 2 ll 2 11 6 11 6 11 10 ll IO 11 10 12 2 12 2 12 2 12 3

60t 63! 67 72 75! 77 79 83! 86! 88! 91! 96;1; 99!

102! 105t 108! l12t liSt I2It I25!-128! 130t 133i 139t 143

10 3 90! 10 3 95! 11 0 103!

11 0 I2 Ill! ll 0 I03

7 5 7 8 8 l 8 8 9 0 9 0 9 1 9 5 9 10 9 10

10 l 10 3 10 3 10 3 10 8 10 8 l1 0 11 2 11 2 11 6 11 6 11 6 11 6 11 10 11 10

10 1 10 3 10 3

1 3 1 4 1 0 0 9 0 10 0 10 1 0 OlO 0 5 0 5 0 2 0 5 0 9 011 0 6 0 6 0 6 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 8 0 4 0 5

0 2

0 9

2 4 2 5 2 1 1 10 1 11 l 11 2 1 1 11 1 6 1 6 1 3 1 6 1 10 2 0 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 !)

1 5 1 5 1 5 I 5 1 9 1 5 1 6

1 3 ] 1 110

7 5 0

0 9 0 10 1 I 1 0 010 0 5 0 5 0 7 0 9 0 9 011 0 6 0 6 0 6 0 4 0 8 0 4 0 4 0 8 0 8 0 4 0 5

17 8 18 1 18 9 20 2 20 11 21 7 21 7 22 10 23 10 23 10 24 I 25 2 25 7 26 2 26 7 26 l1 27 ll 28 9 29 2 29 ll 30 6 30 9 30 11 32 3 32 9

15 0 15 5 16 4 17 8 18 1 18 9 18 9 20 2 20 11 21 7 22 5 22 10 23 10 24 I 24 7 25 2 25 8 26 7 27 2 27 11 28 4 28 9 29 2 30 3 30 9

0 2 23 10 21 7 24 0 22 IQ

09252241

10 3 0 9 1 10 0 9 25 2 24 l

2 8 2 8 2 5 2 6 2 10 2 10 210 2 8 2 11 2 3 1 8 2 4 1 9 2 l 2 0 ] 9 2 3 2 2 2 0 2 0 2 2 2 0 1 9 2 0 2 o . 2 3 I 2 1 1

1

22

FREIGHT RATES FOR FRUIT'.

lNTRAS'rATE TRANSPORTATION.

rrhe series of comparative freight tables for general produce already given indicate the cha;rge per ton only. Examples of the rate per case of fruit, practically the only commodity which, m the early stages of the development of a port would be exported via 1Vesternuort Bay in large parcels, drawn from fruit-growing areas within the proposed port's zone of i~fluence, a;nd which are typical of the whole of the Gippsland districts, are :--

From- To Melbomne. To Port To Victmia To Crib Point. Melbourne. Dock.

d. d. d. d. Warragul 2;3 2·3 2·6 2·2 Narre Warren 1·1 1·2 1·5 1·0

------------ ------------

Fruit for other States is forwarded from the producing station direct by rail or from Melbourne or Government Cool Stores direct by raiL The rates for fruit in truck loads of 6 tons or over, by rail, and in any quantity by boat from Melbourne and Tyabb to Sydney and Brisbane are as follow

INTEJRSTATE FREIGHTS.

Rail Ra.te. ! Boat Rate.

- : Per ten. Per Case. Per Ton. Wharfage and Stacking. Per Case.

8. d. 8. d. s. d. 8. d. 8. d. 8. d. Melbourne to-

Sydney . . .. 58 11. 1 5·6 17 0 1+4 = 21 4! 0 10·7 Brisbane 99 5 " 5·8 43 0 +4 = 47 4.! 1 11·7 .. . . .6 2

: Victoria Dock to-

Sydney Brisbane

60 0 100 6

6 lt.. No loading chHrge at Dock; boat rates same 6 ·1 : J as.above.

Tyabb to­Sydney Brisbane ..

65 10 1Q6 4

1 7 ·75 i 28 3i;* 2 7·9 54 3tt

Made up as follows :-··•Boat, 17s., whaJ.fage :md stacking, 4s. 4-J.d., rail freight, Tyabb to Melbourne, 6s. lld. tBoat 43s., wharlage and stacking 4s. 4!0.., rail freight, 'l'yabb to Melbourne 6a. lld.

1 2·1 2 2·1

For carriage by rail in Victoria the average number of cases per ton varies according to the class of fruit, the following averages being observed :-Apples aud cherries, 42; peaches, pears, lemons, oranges, figs, nectarines, and tomatoes, 40; grapes and plums, 38; apricots, 39; quinces, 43; and passion fruit, 56. These averages apply in South Australia and Queensland, but in New South \Vales a general average of 40 cases to the ton for all fruit is adopted. Freight rates for fruit by boat are based on a measurement of 24 cases to the ton of 40 cubic feet.

LocAL PRODUCTION-OVERSEAS FRUIT ExPORT.

It is maintained by fruit-growers in areas which would be tributary to a Peninsula port that during the export seasqn in the months of February to May, and probably up to June, steamers which fail to complete their loading at Hobart would call at Westernport for parcels of from 10,000 to 15,000 cases of fruit, which, it was stated, would be readily available. It was mentioned that over 100,DOO cases of apples had been exported from the five cool stores situated on the 1\iornington Peninsula last . season. If a port were ·established it was urged inducement would be offered for the increase of orchard areas under fruit, especially for export.

Producers of general farm products in the near Gippsland districts who seek an outlet to. Australian markets more facile and beneficial by reason of the reduction of centralized handling charges now necessarily to be faced, would secure, it was claimed, some relief by the transportation .. of commodities to the proposed port, via the proposed railway connexions.

23

The export railway freight on fruit, pota.toes, onions, v'Bgetables, and general farm produce carried in bulk would be as follow~s, per ton :-

To llfelboume.

8. d. s. d. From :M:orwell, per ton 9 0 9 10 From Korumburra, per ton 6 9 8 1

The respective maximum savings would be lOd. and ls. 4d. per ton respectively. It was claimed that an average saving in freight of Is. ld. per ton, with proportionate decreases from intervenin~ stations ranging from 3d. to ls. ld. per ton in truck loads would, result.

PRODUCTION OF LARGE FRUIT. According to figures furnished by the Government Statist, the production of large fruit.

in Victoria was as follows :--1925--6, 131,656 tons; 1926-7 (a bad season), 79,050 tons. (Statistics for 1927-28 are not available.)

The production of large fruit in the counties which would be wholly or partially affected by the construction of the proposed port on the shore of Westernport Bay was given as under :-

()tmnty. 192541. Tons, Approx. ~.ronst

.Mornington .. . . .. 22,760 8,041 Evelvn . . . . .. 14,021 5,542 Bulr:Buln .. .. . .

I 1,536 819

38,317 14,402

PHODUCTION OF POTATOES AND ONIONS. The production of potatoes and onions Victoria in the yea.rs 1925-6 and 1926-7, was as

follows:--~--------'"""""--···------

Y car ;;nding J unc. Potatoes. Onions. Cl'otal.

·----~~-~:--------:------ ----·-~---

1926 1927

'I' on.;,

160,726 162,898

Tons. 21,728 43,918

The production in the 1926-7 may be apportioned to the producing districts as in the following statement. The area taken as being contributory to a Westernport Bay export depot terminates on the east at Morwell and Korumburra, and practically produces one-half of the State's yield. If the desire be to relieve the gluts of this form of produce by interstate export the proximity of the proposed port to such areas is claimed as standing to the credit of the proposition. -

•

Potat<Jes. O:nions. Total. Perconta.ge ~o Total Prod1wtion.

Tons. Tom;~ Tons. District assumed to be served by the proposed port on the

shore of Western port Bay ; Counties of 1\tlornington, Evelyn and Buln Buln . . . . .. . . . . 90,545 7,396 })7,941 47

W arrnambool district, including Counties of Villiers, Hamp-den, Heytesbury and Polwarth .. -. .. 18,834 17,910 36,744 18

Ballarat district, including Counties of Grenville, Grant and Talbot . . . . -. . . . . .. 30,999 13,381 44,380 21

Central district, including Counties of Dalhousie and Bourke 15,018 4,947 19,965 10 Other districts not included as above . . . . .. 7,502 284 7,786 4

TotaL'> . . .. . . .. 162,898 43,918 206,816

Attention is particularly drawn to the fact that the district to be served by the proposed port at \Vesternport produces 47 per cent. of the State's total output in the above commodities.

24

PRODUCTION OF BUTTER IN VICTORIA. The total production of butter in Victoria for the year 1926--7 was 36,605 tons. The production in the districts assumed to be served by the proposed port on W esternport

Bay~Counties of Mornington, Evelyn and Buln Buln--was 4,019 tons from the following factories : Bayles, 93; Bens, 96; Bloomfield {Warragul) 167; Cora Lyn (Drouin), nil; Drouin, 157; Golden Bar (Korumburra), 28; Poowong, 83; Iona, Drouin, nil; Koruri1burra, 1,069; Kongwak, 279; LangLang, 1,143; Moe, 278; Morwell, 44; Neerim South, 187; Trafalgar, Co-op., 284; Trafalgar Milk Supply, 304; Thorpdale, 68; 'Varragul, 335; "\Vonthaggi, 335; and Yannathan, 69; total, 4,019.

FRESH FRUIT EXPORT. Mr. J. M. Ward, the Superintendent of Horticulture, considered that the fruit-growing

industry, not merely as it exists and is being developed on the ::VIornington Peninsula, but, also, as it applies to the areas extending from "\Varragul to around Pakenham and elsewhere in the vicinity of the Peninsula which a port on w·esternport Bay would serve for overseas export were particularly bright so far as production is concerned. He stated that he had no doubt that steamers would call at Westernport Bay if parcels of fruit in sufficient quantity were offered.

He recalled the occasion when the fruit-growers of the Huon River district in Tasmania, which he considered possessed characteristics similar to those of the Mornington Peninsula and contiguous country, persisted in a strong agitation for the making of a port to meet interstate trade and overseas shipment, which, when constructed resulted in the development of a district from which previously only timber had been exported. Since the construction of a pier, direct fruit shipments to Sydney, Brisbane, and other places have benefited producers.

rrhe use of statistics to a full extent relating to the progress of the fruit industry in the areas in question has been avoided, since the latest figures are not now available. If the need should arise the forthcoming issue of the Victorian Year-Book will furnish detailed data.

VICTORIAN APPLE AND PEAR EXPORT SEASON, 1928. In the 1928 season, up to the 30th May, fruit export comprised 924,350 cases of apples

and 81,439 packages of pears to countries outside of Australia, and easily established a record for Victoria. The previous greatest quantity of fruit shipped in one year was in 1926, when 459,904 cases of apples and 45,764 packages of pears were exported. ·

These figures are claimed as indicating the progress being made in the development of oversea shipping. It is recognized by growers, horticultural experts, and shipping agents that in the future more fruit will require to be exported, and orchards are being planted and reconstructed with special export varieties.

The total number of ports to which fruit was shipped numbered 23, which was conveyed in 37 steamers to the United Kingdom and European ports. Fruit to Eastern countries was sent in four boats, each of which make three or four trips a year. The greater quantity of fruit was shipped to the former markets, which took 906,495 cases of apples and 80,158 packages of pears, while the remaining 17,855 cases of apples and 1,281 packages of pears were forwarded to various ports in the East. The grand total of fresh fruits shipped to all ports was 1,024,994 packages.

OVERSEAS.EXPORT OF APPLES. RETURNS TO PRODUCERS.

It was explained by Mr. Ward, Superintendent of Horticulture, that it was not an easy matter to obtain the exact total figures for which fruit was disposed of in oversea markets in order to arrive at the net returns to producers. From data submitted by him the following particulars of oversea export of apples from Victoria have been compiled:- £ s. d.

Average price realized for each class of apples, per case . . . . . Which for 924,350 cases exported during the 1928 season made a total of From this amount the costs of conveying the fruit from the ship's side at

Melbourne to its destination has to be deducted

Which left a balance of There has to be deducted the cost of railway and road freights, cost of

case, packing, wrapping, paper, branding, picking, &c., totalling to, say, 2s. 2d. per case, a total of

0 11 0 508,392 0 0

279,445 0 0

228,947 0 0

100,137 0 0

Leaving a net balance to producers of 924,350 cases of apples of .. 128,810 0 0

Equivalent to­Per case

Per 1,000 cases

0 2 8·6

135 0 0

25

It can, therefore, be perceived that Australian· apple-growers who export fruit overseas have to pay away a very considerable sum to shipowners, fruit agents,, and others, leaving about 25 per cent. as the gross net return from which to earn profit and pay overhead expenses incurred in connexion with capital and maintenance charges.

The above figures make it clear that if the fresh fruit overseas export is to become a well­. established industry, it is imperative that the closest scrutiny of the economics of every phase of · the industry must be made, the major essential being the development of a sound and efficient organization. It was pointed out that in a season of abundant production the margin of profit from local consumption was so small that a saving of 6d. per bushel would make all the differenee between profit and loss to the grower ..

EXPORT CHARGES ON FRESH FRUIT.

The following table presents in an interesting way details of export charges on fresh fruit to the United Kingdom and other ports :-

.. --··---~··---··~--··-~~··---··--~··~-.. ~--··~-·---··---------

Charges from Ship's Side at Melbourne to Sale at Destination.

Steamer freight . . . . . . . .. Insurance, B /1. Stevedoring, coopering, duty stamps Forwarding .. Handling charges, London Brokerage .. Exchange (Id. to l!d.) Advertising

London

Other ports (2d. less for handling)

Apples.

Per Cac~e.

s. d. " 0 6 0 0 1 n

'-

0 ~)

0 1 0 O! tl

5

-··---

s. d. 8. d. 4 2 4: 6 0 4.! 0 ·it 0 3 0 " tJ

l ~ 1 2 0 H 0 9 0 l 0 1

0 --~----

7 F 4

-----··--··--·· ------··---···----- -

REFORMATIVE MEASURES ESSENTIAL IN EXPORT TRADE.

Confining the discussion solely to the local aspect of the overseas export trade, that is, as the industry is affected by detrimental conditions before the fresh fruit is placed aboard the ships, there appear to be some outstanding features which demand rectification. 'rhe inclusion of this aspect in your Commissioners' investigations is considered justified by the fact that the main claim advanced for port development on the Mornington Peninsula depended upon the establishment being largely used for the export offresh fruit to oversea markets.

RESTRICTION ON VARIETIES OF APPLES EXPORTED.

During the export season of 1928 Victorian apple-growers shipped some 36 varieties of fruit overseas. While the chief varieties, such as Jonathan, Dunn's, Delicious, London Pippin, Cleopatra, Reinette du Canada, Rome Beauty, and Rymer predominated, many odd varieties were sent away in small quantities. This practice was deplored as seriously retarding the progress of the trade, and it was urged that producers should be brought to realize that large shipments of a few good sorts were much more readily marketed, and yielded better returns than small consignments embracing a wide range of varieties. Mr. \Vard advised that districts should specialize in producing larger quantities of a few varieties of fruit specially adapted to district conditions instead of experimenting with many kinds. This condition, he said, could easily be brought about by top-grafting varieties unsuitable for overseas markets with commercial kinds.

GRADING A:ND PACKING EXPORrr FRTJIT.

Orchardists engaging in the export business, and particularly those of the Mornington Peninsula and contiguous areas are realizing that efficient co-operation is urgently essential to ensure uniform graded a.nd standardized packs as demanded by oversea purchasers. They are aware of the handicap Victorian fruit suffers on account of promiscuous packs and brands, put up in slovenly-looking containers, presenting an unattractive appearance caused by the cases being badly made from timber liable to warp and split. "A purchaser of apples," J!Ir. \Vard thought, " must conclude that such cases must surely contain low-grade or mediocre fruit, and

26

thus is not prepared to pay as high a. price as he would for fruit contained in a case of good appearance. It was hardly conceivable that growers of apples for export in practically all districts were so short-sighted in their own interests as to pack really high-class fruit in such low-quality containers." ·

Fruit-growers were fully aware that the motive required to make a success of such a port must be standardization of the industry~·standard pack, proper grading and packing, and adequate official inspection. If a wharf were built at \Vesternport it was stated that it was highly probable that a large co~operative company would be formed by leading growers of exportable fruit for the purpose of generally handling export fruit at a central depot.

INSPECTION OF EXPORT FRUIT.

primary function in the fresh frait export trade is the necessity of strict examination of shipments to oversea countries, particularly to British ports, where, beyond question, carefully­graded fruit regularly commands higher prices than the best ungraded commodity.

. In the report from the Empire Marketing Board issued in June of this year it was reported that a scheme established during the previous year for the examination of incoming cargoes of Empire fruit has notably advanced, and is now applied in turn to Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand fruit shipments. It is the praetice to station botanical officers of the Board at the ports of London and Liverpool to observe the conditions in the ships' holds, examine cases of fruit. on arrival, and follow samples to retail shops for further examination. If necessary specimens of fruit are despatched to the Cambridge Low Temperature Station for laboratory examination. It is stated that as the work advances arrangements are being developed to secure that pre-shipment records of some of the fruit coming under examination upon its arrival in the United Kingdom are also available.

The establishment of a central depot for the inspection of fruit before it reached the ships' side as being calculated to directly benefit all interested in the overseas trade was strongly urged by Mr. Ward. He pointed out that fruit is drawn from approximately 100 railway stations for export, and while the desire was to increase the country inspection to minimize the port inspection, this course was made difficult by reason of the small number of cases of fruit loaded at many of the stations, though 50 per cent. of the fruit was so examined. The only opportunity given for the examination of fruit for export when it reached Melbourne was during the short time occupied in its transfer from the railway truck to the sling.

If a port were established at \Vestern Port for fruit export he expressed the hope that facilities for the inspection of export fruit would be adequate for the purpose. "I think I can say without fear of successful contradiction that the facilities for the inspection of overseas fruit at Port Melbourne are the worst in Australiq,. The railway trucks come alongside the ship ; some~ times they are full, or may contain perhaps 100 cases, and from the time they are taken out of the trucks until they go on to the ship, which is only a few yards distant, the inspection of that fruit, which is a very important matter, has'to be carried out. If a port were established at \Vestern Port Bay facilities should be made for proper inspection, which is a very important item from the export point of view."

HARD\VOOD CONTAINERS FOR OVEHSEA ]'RUI'r TRADE.

There has been much local controversy as to the merits of fruit cases made from Australian hardwoods as against eontainers manufactured from softwoods. To ascertain the views of British buyers a cabled inquiry by the Agricultural Department recently brought the reply that the most favomed were whitewood cases, 18 x lOt x llt inches internal measurement, with cleats top and bottom and wire bound. This form of case is one that has been adopted by the most up-to-date fruit exporting countries, but is new to Australian growers.

The objections urged against the use of hardwood for case making were that 10 to 15 per cent. of material delivered from the mills had to be rejected on account of faults. It was complained that the ends of hardwood cases shrank, the sides buckled, and altogether the case had a very poor appearance when it reached the markets abroad. Mr. ~Ward stated.that a bad impret:sion of the quality of the fruit was left on the minds of oversea buyers when dirty­looking warped cases were observed. "I want to be perfectly understood," he said. "In common with others I want to see Am,tralian-grown timber used, but if our growers are losing from ls. to ls. 6d. per case by using the hardwood case, it is time we turned round and looked for another one. I hate to say that, but still the truth stands out. Of course, probably with better treatment of the wood, say kiln seasoning and planing the ends, we might get better results, but remembering, the way growers received their cases last sea,son there is room for a great deal of improvement."

27

\Vhiie the hardwood was in predominant use at the present time he thouglJt that in two or three time the position would be in the mainland States. Already citrus growers used

softwood cases made mainly from timber imported in shooks from B_ritish Columbia. He added that importations of suitable white pine cases in shooks had been made from Canada during the past season at a landed cost of ll!d. each.

A strong plea was made for the planting of pine on large areas of light land in the vVestern Port Bay area, which was practically of little value for other purposes. It was pointed out that excellent pine such as Pinus Insignis, Pinus Pinaster, and Pinus Oanar£ensis were found on French Island grmving on pure sand hills. The establishment of pine plantations would eventually be of great value to the Victorian fruit export industry for the manufacture of cases of the quality and appearance essential to the successful marketing of fruit in European countries.

All of which we have the honour to submit for Your Excellency's consideration.

Witness our hand~ this third day of October, 1928.

J. H. OWEN, Secretary.

A. A. FARTHING, Chairman.

ED\VIN G. BATH,

A. M. ZWAR,

HEXRY BEARDMOHE,

L J. \VEA VER.

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