ELECTRICITY BILL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 46, 4 December 1945, Page 5

ELECTRICITY BILL

SEPARATE DEPARTMENT RETICULATION OF COUNTRY AREAS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 3. Given support by the Opposition, the Electricity Rill, which makes provision for a separate Electricity Department, to replace the present branch of the Public Works Department, ancl for a guarantee fund to assist in the reticulation of country areas, was passed by the House of Represent- • atives this evening. The Minister of Works (the Hon. R. Semple), moving the second reading of the Bill, said the growth of electrical reticulation in recent years had rendered necessary the establishment of a separate Electricity Department. With the diminution of bituminous coal supplies, New Zealand was up against power supply, but with the development of the Waikato scheme, which had been carried on during the war years under tremendous difficulties, and which wciuld be in operation in 1947, if the machinery arrived from the United Kingdom, the Dominion would have more power a head of population than any other country. Ninety-three per cent, of farmers in the Dominion already were supplied with electricity, compared with 20 per cent, in Canada. / The purpose of the Bill was to supply sparsely-populated areas with electricity, and finance would be provided by a levy of one-quarter of 1 per cent, of the gross revenue of supply authorities, which was estimated to produce £23,000. A council would be set up to investigate the claims of applicants and decide what subsidies would be paid. It was hoped to reticulate 1500 miles in the next two or three years, and it. was estimated that a total of 1800 miles was required to be reticulated at a cost of £730,000. The Minister said he was satisfied this scheme would meet the needs of the country for the next four years, and there would be very few people without power in that time.

Control of Manufacture There was also power ill the Bill to prevent the manufacture of shoddy electrical material in the country. Mr Semple said the new Electricity Department would contribute £6500 in the first year of the guarantee fund, the Auckland Power Board £2500, the Wellington City Council £IBOO, the Christchurch City Council £IOOO, and so on down the scale. Mr T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton) suggested a revision of power board districts, with a view to making areas more economic, mentioning the difficulties of the Banks Peinsula Power Board. He agreed that urban areas should assist sparselypopulated areas. Mr W. A. Sheat (Opposition, Patea) endorsed the Bill and said that the fund to be created meant that one penny out of every 400 paid by present consumers would be used for the purpose of carrying power to the rest of New Zealand. It was a very small contribution for such'important, work. The Bill would be welcomed by power supply authorities throughout the country, many of whom had been asking previously for some such scheme. Mr W, S. Goosman (Opposition, Waikato) supported the Bill and said it was a good thing to have one department control the supply of power. It was desirable to have people in thg backblocks helped by people in the cities. He looked forward to the clay when every house in the country would have electricity. Mr W. Sullivan (Opposition, Bay of Plenty) commended the Minister for doing a good job. It was right and proper to set up a department to handle electricity supply. The Bill was put through the remaining stages and passed.