AGY-4949 | Royal Commission of Enquiry into the Question of the Constitution of a Harbour Trust to control the administration of the Port of Newcastle

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The Royal Commission of Enquiry into the Question of the Constitution of a Harbour Trust to control the administration of the Port of Newcastle was dated 4 December 1922. Eight Commissioners were appointed, with Thomas Edward Burrows as President. The Commission was instructed to report on the desirability of the appointment by the Government of a Commission to take over the obligations and administration of the Port of Newcastle, and to consider what would be in the best interests of the Port of Newcastle and the State of NSW generally. As well as a Report produced by the Commission, a dissenting “Minority Report” was also submitted.

The Commission commenced its deliberations on 4 January 1923, and examined the evidence of 41 witnesses representing the various interests comprising the trade of the Port - coal, shipping, export, import, manufacturers, and Municipal, Shire, and Farmer’s views in regard to the proposed Trust.

Many witnesses considered the equipment at the Port inadequate, including the depth of water available and wharfage accommodation for the storage of goods and rail access to them, coal loading using electric cranes was considered to be efficient, with a suggestion that the moveable hydrolic cranes be altered to give similar results, most witnesses were in favour of local control in the form of a Harbour Trust or similar body, where only one authority would be required to oversee trade at the Port.

The Commissioners recommended that the export rate on coal, and possibly other commodities, would need to be raised to enable a Harbour Trust to carry out maintenance and other necessary works of expansion and additional facilities required to ensure efficient operation. Colliery proprietors and shipping firms with colliery interests considered the impost of additional rates would disadvantage their participation in foreign trade, but the Commission considered no convincing evidence to support this was produced. The Commissioners recommended that the shipment of coal be done under the authority of a Harbour Trust, but as initially upon establishment the Trust would be responsible for the improvement and maintenance of the Port, the shipment of coal should be continued by the Railway Commissioners, with the Trust given the power to take over this function at any time.

The Commissioners also recommended that tonnage rates should form part of the revenue of the Trust, that the Trust be indemnified against obligations and charges arising from Agreements made, and a subsidy should be provided towards the cost of removing silt brought down the river by periodic flooding. The District to be included in the operations of the Harbour Trust were to include all wharves, jetties and boat harbours, all areas occupied by breakwaters and training walls, and all surrounding foreshore areas.

The Commission recommended that a Harbour Trust be constituted to control the Port of Newcastle, and that members of the Trust should not be less than 3, or more than 5, and that the Chairman should be a Civil Engineer with experience in the construction and administration of Harbour Works.

A Minority Report was also presented from members of the Commission representing the Colliery Proprietors, the Broken Hill Co Ltd, and the Railway Commissioners who wished to express their dissent with the conclusion arrived at by the majority of the Commissioners.

In this Report it was considered that placing the Port of Newcastle under the control of a Harbour Trust, which would have to be self-supporting, was not warranted at the present time, and that the coal trade of the Port should not be subjected to further taxation - which would be necessary to provide for maintenance and additional facilities to improve the Port in the future, the shipment of coal should be carried out wholly by the Railway Commissioners, and the manufacture of steel products by Broken Hill Pty Ltd should not be subject to further taxation. Witnesses representing interests contributing over 75% of the revenue of the Port were against the creation of a Harbour Trust if extra taxation was to be imposed as this would be detrimental to commerce, and the additional rates which would be necessary to impose to obtain revenue to work the Port would not be in the best interests of the trade of the Port, and would outweigh any advantages derived by the establishment of a Harbour Trust. The Report concluded that by the nature of it’s commerce, through the export of coal and steel, the Port was of more than local importance and should be regarded from a National perspective and should remain under the control of the Government in the interests of the State.(1)

The date of expiry of the Commission was 4 March 1923, with Mr Burrows stating that the completed Report would be handed to the Governor on or before that date.(2)

Endnotes
1.Records of the Commission, 1923, NRS 1528
2.Records of the Commission, 1923, NRS 1528 Newcastle Harbour Proposed Trust, Newcastle Herald Reports 1923, p.45, 6/3921