S.I. Local Bodies Want To Keep Buller Power

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30738, 30 April 1965, Page 1

S.I. Local Bodies Want To Keep Buller Power

If Buller coal is used for the generation of steam power, the South Island Local Bodies’ Association wants the generating station established near the coalfields and wants the power to be kept in the South Island.

The association’s executive yesterday expressed alarm at proposals, first that coal should be taken to a station in the North Island—Wanganui was mentioned as a claimant to the site—and second that if the station was established in Buller the power would go north by a second Cook Strait cable.

“Politics come into this,” said Mr G. A. Harris (Temuka). “We know our political parties, but there is another party—the Auckland party—working assiduously to get industry centralised in the northern part of the North Island. One-third of the representation in Parliament

comes from north of Hamilton and every Government, past and present, places undue emphasis on that when it comes to where industry is going to be established. “We have seen too much of our resources go across the strait.”

The executive adopted the suggestion of Mr G. Manning (Christchurch) that it continue to press for a coal-fired power station to be situated where the coal was available. “We must keep dinning this into higher authority,” said the president (Mr A. T. Sloan). “It does not seem to get up far, but we have to keep at it.” The investigation into the use of the Buller coalfields was going on solely to give power to the North Island, said Mr J. S. Thorn (Port Chalmers). “We have got to get on the ball and keep the power here.” The association was the only

spearhead for the South Island, Mr M. Wallace (Westland) said. It had sent a deputation to the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) some years ago and urged the establishment of industry closer to the source of power. The Prime Minister had said he was sympathetic and while the Government could not direct industry to go anywhere it would do its best to encourage it, “I have seen no indication that the Government is keeping faith with the promise,” Mr Wallace said. “All our power resources are being developed for the North Island.”

“We are not decrying development in the North, but we are asking for a measure of industrial development in the South. The Government can assist by keeping the power in the South Island rather than spending huge sums on another cable.”