COAL FOR BULLER DISTRICT

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26395, 13 April 1951, Page 6

COAL FOR BULLER DISTRICT

OPEN CAST SEAM TO BE WORKED (From Our Own Reporter) WESTPORT, April 12, The Denniston miners have decided to work the open-cast seam on the hill to provide sufficient coal for the Dennison power-house and Westport gasworks. At the urgent request of the president of the Denniston Miners’ Union (Mr J. Chapman), on behalf of its members, the Minister of Mines (Mr W. Sullivan) has agreed for power from the Denniston station to be linked with the Ngakawau suoply, which has not been operating for the last week. As a result. Ngakawau. Hector, and Stockton residents will have the use of electric power again to-day. To give them that supply it will be necessary to exercise general care in the use of electricity throughout the district. For the last two days men have been engaged in completing the access to the Denniston open-cast mine, where the production of coal is expected to start to-morrow. The coal will probably be carried from Denniston by lorry and loaded at Waimangaroa for railing to the gasworks at Denniston. A ramp, which is being erected by the Railways Department at Waimangaroa, will be completed this evening.

There was renewed activity in the Charleston coalfields to-day as a result of orders by the Navy to the usual transport operators to place their trucks and drivers at the disposal of the mine owners who are working open-cast collieries. One mine expects to have 600 tons of coal available for shipment on the Kaitawa, which will be loading at Westport early next week. Some of the coal will be railed to the East Coast. Sailors have been driving some lorries from Charleston to Westport, and they will be assisted with the loading of coal from the dumps to-day. The transport drivers received their direction from the Navy last evening. Charleston coal is being used on shunting engines in the Westport railway yard, and there is a possibility that some will be sent to other centres for a similar use.