SUMNER GAS SUPPLY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27442, 31 August 1954, Page 10

SUMNER GAS SUPPLY

WORKS TO IN 1960 CHARGES INCREASED Notice will be served on the Sumner consumers that the Ctfy Council proposes to close" the gasworks in 1980. 'Hie council also decided last evening that the present ch'arge for gas be increased to 13s 4d per 1000 cubic feet. There are 708 gas consumers in me old Sumner borough area, 534 being in Sumner and 172 in the Redcliffs area. All the consumers had electricity installed for various purposes, reported the engineer-manager of the MSS.D. (Mr j: C. Forsyth). The cost of change-over to electricity would be not less than £26.000. Unless consumers were nrenared to (And an ever-increasing charge for me supplies, the financial facts justified the closing down of the gasworks in flve or six years, reported the city treasurer (Mr J. W. Niven). The. plant was uneconomic and would always remain so. The city engineer (Mr E. Somers) also reported that every ** made *° discontinue undertakmg as soon as reasonbly possible. ‘Throughout New Zealand, Small gasworks are generally leadins a precarious existence and some have °P erat >ons ®l‘ o B ether since the Sui. h . e rep S The works were not efficient and if made so by the addition of a producer gas plant and similar extensions more labour would be. necessary and higher capital charges would also have to be met.