ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21970, 19 December 1936, Page 14

ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY

PROBLEM IN NORTH CANTERBURY CHEVIOT AND AMURI COUNTIES MINISTER ASKED FOR HELP An assurance that an early opportunity would be taken of reviewing the whole basis of electric power supply in hitherto unreticulated rural areas was given yesterday by the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple-) when replying to a deputation which sought Government assistance for the reticulation of the Cheviot and Amuri counties. "The time has come when it is necessary to examine the whole question," Mr Semple stated. "The problem of supplying power to the outer areas is one which must be tackled effectively, and we must have a thorough stock-taking. It is obviously of no use adhering to a stereotyped system of supply which has now outlived its usefulness.' The Minister added that he proposed to visit Victoria early next year to investigate the operation of the hydro-electric supply systems there, and he had already taken steps to secure information from experts on the practice of electric supply authorities in Sweden and Japan. The deputation, which was introduced by the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, member of Parliament for the district, consisted of Messrs L. B. Evans (chairman) and A. Buckingham (engineer-secretary), representing the North Canterbury Electric Power Board; *J. Paton and G. Struthers (Cheviot County), and J. Manson and J. Duncan (Amuri County). , _ , Mr Evans said the North Canterbury Power Board was anxious to comply with the request of residents in the Cheviot and Amuri districts for the extension of power supply to their properties, but the financial difficulties in the way of the project were such that the board was unable to undertake the- task without the risk of making the charges to the consumers unduly high. Some years ago the Hurunui Power Board had been formed to carry out the reticulation of the northern areas, but it was unable to carry out this work and went out of existence. The North Canterbury board took over the territory of the Hurunui board, and had reticulated as far north as Waikari and Motunau. Extension to Cost £20,000 The board had now been approached by residents of the Cheviot and Amuri districts with a request that electric power supply should be extended to them, but the difficulty j was one of getting the power there. The present line from Waipara to Hurunui would have to be strengthened from its present capacity of 11,000 volts to enable it to carry 30,000 volts, and it would also be necessary to erect 50 miles of line from Southbrook to Culverden. An additional item would be the erection of two sub-stations at Waipara and Culverden. It was estimated that the reticulation of the areas would cost about £20,000. The board was not in a position to borrow the money, and it was not practicable to levy a rate on the districts concerned. The only way of meeting the position would be to pass on the cost in increased charges to the consumers, and there was a grave danger that in a sparsely settled community the revenue would be seriously affected by reduced consumption. The Public Works electrical department had offered to build the two sub-stations on. its usual terms, which would' necessitate the payment of an annual rental of £450 for each station. This charge, however, the board was not able to contemplate, and Mr Evans asked the Minister to erant some assistance to enable the reticulation to be carried out without making it necessary for the board to make the cost of power in Amuri ar.d Cheviot any higher than it was in the area at present served. Mr Buckingham said the whole difficulty before the board was that of erecting the transmission line and the rental of the two sub-stations. The board considered it could absorb the additional administrative costs imposed by the extended service. The district was much less densely populated than the average for Canterbury rural districts, and maintenance charges would therefore be relatively high. However, the board was prepared-to assist consumers in the two areas concerned if it could secure some assistance from the Government in regard to the erection of the transmission line and the cost of power. "Outer Areas Not Wanted" "It seems that these outer areas of small population are not wanted by the power boards," said Mr Duncan. "They are too hard to reticulate. The North Canterbury board is naturally out to cover the cost of reticulation, and in the backblocks those costs are going to be relatively high. Apparently the Electrical Department must come to our assistance if power in our district is to be a utility and not a luxury." Mr Duncan said that when the railways were extended into the outer districts no guarantees were required from the settlers, but a different system obtained in the hydroelectric business, with the result that the further a man was from the source of supply the more it was going to cost him. He asked the Minister to consider either erecting the transmission line to Culverden free of cost to the district, or subsidising the board in some way. Mr Manson said there was great dissatisfaction in Hanmer with the present arrangements. The existing local plant was not efficient and the latest advice received from the Minister for Health was that the plant would be dispensed with. Residents were despairing of obtaining an electrical supply, and unless something was done soon, many would be investing in coke ranges and other sources of heating, and a good deal of potential revenue would be lost. It was estimated that the sale of power in the Cheviot and Amuri districts would realise about £3400 annually, while the rental charges on the sub-station would be £9OO a.

year. He asked the Minister whether he would view the problem from a commercial point of view and whether he would be prepared to forgo the rental in order to obtain £2500 of revenue for power that was at present pouring over the Waitaki dam and being wasted. "The Government has £ 13,000,000 invested in hydro-electric undertakings, and I understand the total amount invested in electricity in New Zealand is about £30,000,000," said Mr Semple in reply. "The commonsense thing to do is to give to the taxpayer, who is paying his share of the cost of these undertakings, the benefit of the service. I think we can come to some solution whereby we can give a maximum supply at a minimum cost." Mr Semple added that he would discuss the matter with the chief electrical engineer of the Public Works Department, Mr F. T. M. Kissel. His personal impression was that £20,000 ought not to stop the Government from giving the service to the districts which were seeking it.