PARLIAMENT Call To Government To Decide On Strait Cable

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29001, 16 September 1959, Page 16

PARLIAMENT Call To Government To Decide On Strait Cable

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 15. Opposition speakers in the House of Representatives tonight urged the Minister of Electricity (Mr Watt) to say what the Government was going to do about the Cook Strait power cable. They claimed the South Island would have more power than it could use when Benmore was ready in 1965 if the Cook Strait cable was not completed.

Mr Watt said the Government was waiting for a report on the cable by a London firm of consultants. The report was expected in November.

Opposition speakers also criticised the Government for relying on the Wairakei geothermal steam station for North Island power.

Mr W. S. Goosman (Opposition, Piako) said it was quite wrong to plan the North Island power supply on Wairakei till it had proved itself. Mr Goosman. Minister of Electricity in the last National Government, said that Wairakei had started producing nine months ago, but was now out of operation. “Wairakei has always been experimental—there is nothing like it in the world—and the best that can be said of it is that it’s disappointing,” said Mr Goosman. Mr Goosman said he believed the difficulties at Wairakei would be overcome eventually, but until they were it was wrong to build the North Island power supply round it Mr Goosman called for the reestablishment of the combined power committee of the department and the supply authorities, and for it to investigate the position. “Trying to Create Alarm” The Minister of Customs (Mr Boord) accused Mr Gossman of trying to create “alarm and despondency” and doing the country a disservice in saying there was something wrong with producing power from geothermal steam. Mr Boord said that Mr Goosman should know as well as anyone of the teething troubles that could be expected from the installation of a new turbine, and this had happened at Wairakei with a new type of generator. ■ “The member sang the praises of Wairakei while he was Minister, and he should know the potentialities of the geothermal district and the uses of cheap steam power available in this country,” said Mr Boord. “It is better to use our natural re-

sources than to Import large quantities of oil for an oil-fired gas turbine station, as the member wanted to do.” Geothermal steam power was available irrespective of weather, said Mr Boord. "We should press on with the development of this type of power.” Mr A. E. Allen (Opposition. Franklin), a former chairman of the Auckland Electric Power Board, said that expenditure on electricity in New Zealand was badly out of balance. “U we'd built a smaller station than Roxburgh in the South Island and a station of about 150,000 kilowatts in the North Island at the same time, we could have avoided the shortages we had in 1956 and 1958,” Mr Allen said.

Mr D. C. Seath (Opposition, Waitomo) said that the Government was pinning its hopes for the North Island power supply on Wairakei.

“If the whole of our North Island industry is to be dependent on Wairakei surely we’re taking a great gamble,” he added. Mr Boord: Would you stop work on Wairakei?

Mr Seath: No, but there are other works that have been slowed down because of the Minister pinning his faith on WairakeL Chaos will result if Wairakei fails. The Minister of Electricity said that in the Electricity Department’s report he had mentioned

that the trouble at Wairakei stemmed from mechanical difficulties, and not from the use of geothermal steam. “The member of Piako says it is wrong for us to rely on Wairakei. If it's wrong today, why was not not wrong for the member for Piako and his Government to rely on Wairakei? What power could replace Wairakei,” Mr Watt asked. Mr Goosman: We had another string to our bow. Mr Watt: What was that? Mr Goosman: The gas station. Mr Watt: That wouldn't have been producing power till 1964. Mr Watt said that Wairakei’s troubles had been purely mechanical. “The gas exhausters broke down. But we have had a note today from our London consultants that steam exhausters will be used in future and will be thoroughly reliable,” he said Mr Hayman’s Charge Mr T. L. Hayman (Opposition, Waitaki) charged the Minister with “delaying the Cook Strait power cable until after the municipal elections later this year because he doesn’t want to face the criticism that will follow when that report proves favourable.” Mr Hayman said that if the Cook Strait cable was not feasible, then the Benmore station output should be cut in half, or a guarantee given that the Government knew of a South Island industry to absorb Benmore’s output after 1965. “A £3m station cannot be established unless there is a use for the power to come from it,” said Mr Hayman. “Hay ward’s line (first stage of the transmission line planned to carry power from Benmore to Cook Strait) won’t be necessary if the Strait cable doesn't go on. And if that’s the case then the designing of that line which is still going on is a waste of money.” Mr T. P. Shand (Opposition, Marlborough) said a Cook Strait power cable would be of great benefit to both islands. The sensible way to provide power was to complete fhe Cook Strait cable. The South Island, he believed, would be in trouble with the dearest power it had ever had if Benmore was completed and the Cook Strait cable was not laid. Denial By Minister

Mr Watt denied that he would hold up the consultants’ report on the Cook Strait cable till after the local body elections. The consultants had all the information they required, and the report could be expected in November. The Government was pushing ahead with further investigations in both islands, he said. New Zealand could not hope to expand unless there was surplus power available. The only thing which would attract industries to the South Island was an abundance of electricity. Mr J. K. McAlpine (Opposition, Selwyn) said that if the Government did not build the cook Strait cable within two years the South Island would have more power than it would know what to do with.

“The Minister is trifling with the country if he doesn't say categorically that he’s going to construct the Cook Strait cable or stop construction at Benmore. He cant’ have it both ways,” Mr McAlpine said. Mr Watt: I will not stop construction at Benmore. Mr Watt said that Benmore was required for the South Island after 1965. The combined committee’s report had stated that Roxburgh was only big enough to provide for the South Island tin 1965.