N.Z. POWER INDUSTRY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29620, 16 September 1961, Page 13

N.Z. POWER INDUSTRY

Reorganisation Scheme With the reorganisation of the electrical supply industry as the main topic of debate, the annual conference of the New Zealand Electrical Supply Authorities’ Association in Christchurch next week will have a record attendance, more than 350 delegates being expected. The reorganisation, which affects electricity consumers, the Government, and the distributing authorities themselves, has been discussed by the association at a previous annual conference and at a special meeting in Rotorua. The committee which met in Rotorua later reported that the original proposals for reorganisation were based on two guiding principles—adherence to the concept of local control for distribution and the removal of State power generation from direct Government day-to-day control and changing political policies. The committee recommended that the present system of complete autonomy locally by elected representatives should be retained for the distribution of electricity Recommending acceptance of the second basic principle, it emphasised that it referred to State generation of electrical energy, not local generation.

Following on that it recommended that the control of the whole electrical industry, both generation and distribution. should be vested in an electricity council. Anj’ boundary adjustment, amalgamation or merger of supply authorities should, in the first instance, be by voluntary negotiation, the committee recommended. The committee’s recommendations will be put before the conference, with the support of the president (Mr W. S. N. Rennie), and it will be asked to adopt them for presentation to the Government.

Not all the supply authorities have made their views known on the proposed reorganisation. Generally, the larger power boards and municipal supply authorities are expected to favour the recommendations. Smaller ones may well be at the conference in force to oppose them.