No Licence Yet For Lyttelton Gas Plant

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28820, 14 February 1959, Page 12

No Licence Yet For Lyttelton Gas Plant

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, February 13.

A decision on an application to import key plant for the Lyttelton gas works will probably be made on Tuesday by the Department of Industries and Commerce.

The department has been examining the application since January 15. The cost of equipment covered by the application is £625, but without the items requested, new plant will be unable to operate and Lyttelton’s gas pressures will remain as low as they have been recently.

The applications for the two licences concerned were made by the contractors, Messrs Norman J. Hurrl and Co. (N.Z.), Ltd. The contractors require a retort house governor set, valued at £375. and a recording set, consisting of a calimeter, a barometric compensator, and an electrical control switch, valued at £250.

The usual procedure when certain licences are lodged with the Customs Department is for them to be examined by officials of the Department of Industries and Commerce in order to determine whether they are, in fact, needed, or whether the articles mentioned can be produced in New Zealand and the licences are issued or the applications rejected according to the recommendation of the Department of Industries and Commerce.

The apparatus sought by the gas works contractors cannot be produced in New Zealand. .Licences for the importation of . ejgjylar ' apparatus have been ,-guiuted the Ashburton Gas

Works. There is no apparent difficulty with import quotas with the Lyttelton application, for imports are permitted equivalent to the total amount imported in 1958.

GOOD SUPPLY YESTERDAY

Gas, in full pressure and full strength, was available to Lyttelton householders for most of the day yesterday. An exception was at the midday and evening meal peak periods when the quality was not good, although the pressure was maintained.

The improvement follows nearly a week of hard work bn the part of the stall in cleaning pipes and mains at the gasworks, an operation which, at times, caused unavoidable interruptions to the supply. It is expected that a new gasworks manager will be appointed early next week.