provincial engineer edward dobson favoured the latter route as it meant that gollans bay could be used to berth ships at a deepwater jetty without having to dredge the area. however, there were several factors against the gollans bay route that had to be considered, not least that it bypassed lyttelton, a growing commercial centre of some importance; its exposure to the wind; and the lack of suitable land at the bay for port facilities. though the commission considered it to be the best route to the harbour, they discounted the route and decided against a detailed survey of it, as their terms of reference had tasked them with finding a route to lyttelton.