“S.L Power Resources Virtually Untapped”

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29128, 13 February 1960, Page 14

“S.L Power Resources Virtually Untapped”

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Feb. 12. New Zealand should exploit hydro-electric power In the South Island for industries there and not be concerned with obtaining nuclear power resources at present. This opinion was expressed by one of the world’s leading nuclear scientists, Professor C. N. Watson-Munro, when he returned to Wellington. A New Zealander, Professor Watson-Munro established Australia’s first nuclear reactor when he was head of the Commonwealth Atomic Energy Commission. He was professor of physics at Victoria University of Wellington before he went to Australia. Now professor of physics at Sydney University, Professor Watson-Munro is in Wellington for a few days on his way to the University of California, where he will work on thermonuclear power for the next eight months, and visit other United States centres interested in this power, which is produced from the fusion of the hydrogen atom. New Zealand had no need to worry about getting nuclear power resources while she still had such great hydro-electric power resources virtually untapped in the South Island, said Professor Watson-Munro. New Zealand’s economy depended on three natural products which were liable to fail her in future competition with synthetic materials. Wool might lose out to synthetic fabricated materials. Meat could be made from protein grasses without having to pass through the costly animal stage. Butter was already facing heavy competition from cheaper margarine. “One thing you have got which

can produce cheaper than anywhere else is enormous hydro electric power sources in the South Island,” he said. It seemed to him that this power should be utilised for such things as aluminium smelting from the readily available bauxite ore. This was just one example of industry built on cheap power resources. It appeared, however, that industries to use this power must be sited in the South Island. The transfer of power to the North, the more heavily settled island, would increase the price of the power to uneconomic levels. Atomic Power In North “In the long run you may have to establish atom power resources in the north of the North Island,” he said. "In the meantime you will have to be satisfied with cheaper and more reliable power than the atom can provide at present.” It might be 10 years before atomic power can be produced to compete at a level to interest New Zealand. In the meantime, more money should be spent on training young New Zealand scientists and on research into these things in New Zealand, said Professor Watson-Munro. Enlightened countries such as America, Russia to a greater extent and Australia to a lesser were spending one per cent, of their national income on research. If 1 per cent, of New Zealand’s income amounted to £10,000,000 he considered that £3,000,000 should be spent on research in the universities—nothing like that was spent there now. A further £3,000.000 should be spent in Government research—this was probably being spent there now. A further £3,000.000 should be spent on private research, which must be supported to succeed. “That seems to me to be the kind of figure New Zealand should spend,” said Professor Watson-Munro.