POWER SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 260, 3 November 1931, Page 3

POWER SUPPLY.

GOVERNMENT UNDERTAKINGS

OYER TEN MILLIONS SPENT

£2,522,752 FOR COMPLETION.

Hydro-electric development is reviewed at length in the Public Works Statement presented to the House of Kepiesentatives last night. Reference is made to the suspension of the Arapuni scheme and to the effects of the prolonged drought on the Lake Coleridge undertaking. ''Despite the adverse effect these events have had on the operating results of the hydro-electric system," says the Minister of Public Works, "the account generally still shows quite a reasonable return on the capital operation.-'

The Minister said that there were indications that the depression had had some cffect on the rates of increase in power demand for bulk supply. On account of the totally different conditions under which the Auckland-Waikato area was being worked, as compared with last year; it was impossible to make definite comparisons, but in the Mangahao-Wai-karemoana system, for the quarter ended in June last, there had been an increase of only 5 per cent as compared with the same quarter of the previous year, while in ,the Lake Coleridge area there had been a decrease of 3 per cent. Both figures showed very considerable reductions on the large increases of the previous two or three years.

The total expenditure on the Government's four power schemes to March 31 last was £10.235,352, and the expenditure estimated to complete them was £2,822,782. The following votes are provided, last year's expenditure being in parentheses: Horahora-Arapuni, £370,500 (£105,495); Mangaliao-Waikaremoana, £130,500 (£80,294); Lake Coleridge, £1.00,000 (£87,098); Waitaki River, £408,000 (£020,903); surveys, etc., £900 (£545).

In a statement prepared before he relinquished the portfolio of Public Works, the Hon. W. B. Taverner said that work on all sections at Arapuni was well in hand, and he hoped to have the plant again in operation for the winter of 1932. The net revenue from the HorahoraArapuni scheme, £82,704, was insufficient to cover interest and depreciation charges, the year's operations resulting in a deficit of £35,004. The scheme had now a depreciation fund of £1815,405, and a sinking fund of £50,740.

The Waikarcnioana-Mangahao system, after paying interest and capital, allowed of a payment of £03,850 to the depreciation account. The Lake Coleridge scheme earned £100,599, and the following payments were made, after interest had been provided: Depreciation account, £13,290; sinking fund, £17,120; reserve fund, £52,957.