The National Government's rise in rail freight rates has done nothing to increase coastal shipping trade. The Labour Member for Onehunga, Mr Frank Rogers, said recently, "Manufacturers did not see any advantage in turning to shipping as a freight alternative. "Shipping movements at the Port of Onehunga are on the decline, and are dropping further each month". But Mr Rogers firmly believes manufacturers could benefit greatly if they turned to ships calling at Onehunga to take freight to the South Island. He also believes similar advantages in shipping are open to traders in the south wanting to move freight from one port to another. Mr Rogers said he had been studying the effects of increased rail rates on coastal shipping in Nelson, New Plymouth, Wanganui and Lyttelton. "With the increase in rail freight charges I believe there is a great opportunity for wider use of smaller ship ports throughout the country", he said. "Obviously, I include Onehunga as one of these ports. "The effect of the National Party cutting out railway lines in the South Island and relying on the main trunk from Lyttelton to Picton will mean a shift to greater coastal trade. "The Lyttelton to Picton run is notorious for being prone to washouts, flooding, slips and derailments". Mr Rogers said the answer to the problem could be solved through co-operation between the shipping companies, the Seamen's Union and the Waterside Workers' Union. "Coastal shipping is still falling off and there have been no signs of any pick-up, but there is certainly a lot of potential there", he said. It appeared all NZ Shipping Corporation ships were being directed to Auckland. He intends to learn whether those ships could be directed back to Onehunga. "Onehunga Port is one of the most efficient and low cost harbours in the country", he said. "Under a Labour Government the smaller of the NZ Shipping Corporation ships called at Onehunga". Mr Rogers said he would like to see the Auckland Harbour Board reconsider installing a roll-on roll-off berth at Onehunga. He believed such a berth could be beneficial for trading purposes to Lyttelton and Nelson. "The Ellerslie, Mt Wellington, One Tree Hill and

Onehunga area is one of the largest and most sophisticated industrial zones in New Zealand", Mr Rogers said. "Manufacturers need an alternative to the risk-ridden Lyttelton-Nelson rail link". Mr Arthur Gallagher, President of the Onehunga Port Workers' Union, said he agreed totally with Mr Rogers. "It is essential to the New Zealand economy that shipping plays a major role in offering alternative freight services to rail links", he said. "But the big question is where do we get the ships from". There are now only 33 ships plying the New Zealand coastline, and a number of them are island ships. "Four years ago, when we still had the Northern Steamship Company, the Holm Company, and the current Anchor Line, there were any number of ships about to provide such a service as Mr Rogers suggests. "Today, however, there simply are not the ships. "Somehow New Zealand will have to get them, but from where is anybody's guess. "Ships have played a major role in New Zealand trade, and they will do so again. "At the moment the Port of Onehunga is being used regularly by only two ships. "Anchor Lines' 'Totara', a small coastal ship, calls in once a week on its way to Nelson. "The only other regular is the Noumean ship 'Aidan', which calls in once every five or six weeks. "This month the 'Totara' called in four times and the 'Aidan' once. "One other freighter, the 'United Sailor', called in on its way from Australia as it went on to the islands. "The port has 73 waterside workers who service the two regular ships". NB  A fact check confirms there was a wee bit of poetic licence used in this article. Following are the ships which visited Onehunga in 1976, and the number of calls made: 39:  Totara 36:  Westport 19:  Milburn Carrier 10:  Titoki 6:  Aidan; Frysna; Lorena 3:  Toa Moana 2:  Florida; Holmdale; Ile De Lumiere; Imparma Progress 1:  La Bonita; Niuvakai; Oriental Surveyor; Port De France; United Sailor