The Age of September 25 1901 published this report under the headline - Westernport Coalfields - proposed railway and shipping facilities -
The Railways Standing Committee yesterday examined Mr. C. Catani, engineer for ports and harbors in the Public Works department, with reference to the development of the Cape Paterson and Kilcunda coal fields by the proposed Bass Valley railway and shipping facilities at Westernport. Mr. Catani said that wharfage at San Remo to accommodate vessels drawing eighteen feet could be provided at a cost of £3000, which would dispense with the necessity of spending £500, as proposed, to suit the existing traffic. Vessels could come in by the eastern entrance between Phillip Island and the mainland, or by the western passage. If it was necessary to have a port for vessels drawing up to 30 feet of water that depth could be found in the channel on the west side of Phillip Island, between French Island and Phillip Island, within a mile of Settlement Point and Corinella on the mainland. To construct from Settlement Point a pier a mile long, so as to reach deep water, would cost £25,000 (1). The cheapest method of providing for immediate requirements would be to carry out the works at San Remo. To provide accommodation for ships by dredging instead of making a pier would be very costly owing to the basaltic formation of the country. To make a channel through the rock would entail an expenditure of about £800,000 per mile. There was a deep channel from Cowes to within a certain distance of Settlement Point (2).
Carlo Catani's views were confirmed by a local expert Captain Livingstone, of the steamer Lady Loch, stated that vessels drawing 16 feet of water could at the present time proceed up the channel on the east side of Phillip Island, between Cape Wollomai and San Remo, to the latter place, and after loading with coal, turn round return to the ocean by that channel. He said that a steamer of the ordinary type could at present proceed to San Remo, and take on board about 1500 tons of coal, but that specially built vessels, having a shallow draught could carry a much larger quantity than that. It would, however, be necessary to build vessels of a special type for that trade if large carrying capacity was desired. He also stated that there was a deep water channel on the west and north side of Phillip Island, up to within three quarters of a mile of Settlement Point on the mainland. The largest vessel in the world could navigate that channel with safety, but the drawback against using that channel was the long length of pier which would have to be constructed at Settlement Point to reach the deep water (3).
