WORK COMPLETED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 143, 18 August 1941, Page 5

WORK COMPLETED

DISMANTLING OF POWER

HOUSE

USEFULNESS ENDED

During this month the Borough (fvir F. W. LysaghO supervised the final stages of the work of dismantling tho Whakatane Power Hons® and the transmission line to Edgecumbe, in all 12 miiles of line having been taken down and the poles removed'.

With the whole of the Borough supply now coming from bulk and the arrangement with the Government stipulating that the Borough plant not be used, the dismantling work has been undertaken when time permitted, and any, material of use stored for other works.

In 1921 the Borough commenced generating its own power with its 330 h.p.. plant, a few years, later increasing the generating ability to 600 h.p., the additional consumption of electricity rapidly mounting. Two years ago the plant again found the demands beyond its ability and further plant additions would have been> required even had the water supply for generation been sufficient. As a result the Borough Council decided to draw electric supply from the bulk.

When the change-over was being undertaken the Government, n* an inducement to the Borough, agreed to give a special concession in rates of bulk supply to the equivalent of the amount of power the Whakatane unit could generate, providing the power house was not used. Thus two years ago the loca* generating plant ceased working to supply the town, was maintained for six mouths in an auxiliary capacity to definitely cease eighteen months ago. The work just com-' pleted tvri'tes to the plant altogether.