Engineers Assured Of Kapuni Project Share

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31412, 4 July 1967, Page 12

Engineers Assured Of Kapuni Project Share

fN.Z. Press Association)

ROTORUA July 3. Delegates to the annual conference of consulting engineers at Wairakei yesterday received confirmation from the Commissioner of Works, Mr P. I. Laing, that they would get a slice of Kapuni national gas development work.

Mr Laing told them . that while there was no option but to call on overseas experts to design the gas extraction plant, the use of overseas consultants on the pipeline itself would be limited to an “on call” basis.

He said there would be work for New Zealand consulting engineers in the surveying and preparation of contract drawings for the laying of the pipeline. The Government would set up New Zealand management for programming the job, land negotiations, preparation of legislation and provision of an accounting system. He was convinced that In some aspects of the project the expertise required just did not exist in New Zealand, said Mr Laing. Delegates insisted that unless they were given the opportunity to associate themselves with overseas consultants in this or other projects, the situation would not improve. On the subject of the gas extraction plant, Mr Laing said: “We believe we have no option but to engage consulting engineers with expertise in this field to design, call

tenders and supervise the building of a suitable plant.”

There was a short list of five overseas firms being considered and the Government would select one in the next tour to five weeks.