Buller’s Part In Power Plan

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31942, 20 March 1969, Page 9

Buller’s Part In Power Plan

Major matters to bej resolved at the Buller; end of the New Ply-, mouth coal-fired power; station project were the method of transporting! coal to Westport, the location of houses and preparation of sites for! them, and the final design of the Westport; wharf and bunkers, the Minister of Mines and Electricity (Mr Shand); said in Westport yester-l day. Mr Shand is in Westport! to inspect the area concerned and to have informal talks! with local authority members ! and miners’ representatives. ] He will go to Greymouth to-' day and to Reefton tomorrow. Mr Shand said coal from the Buller fields for the New Plymouth station would need to be available in August, 1972. The amonut used in the j first year or two years would | depend on the water storage! in the lakes of the hydroelectric stations—which governed how much electricity they could generate for the national grid—and, to some extent, on how long it took for the plant at the new! station to become fully efficient, Mr Shand said. Coal Needs A tentative estimate of coal j requirements from the Buller was: —August, 1972, to December, 1972, 20,000 to 30,000 tons; January, 1973 to March, 1973 (one machine working), 40,000 tons; April, 1973, to September, 1973 (two machines), 180,000 tons; October, 1973, to March, 1974 (three machines), 180,000 tons; April, 1974, to September, 1974 (all four machines), 480,000 tons. After October, 1974, 960,000 tons a year would be needed. When the station w r as fully operative, annual coal consumption might be as low as 600,000 tons in a year of' more than average rainfall, or as high as 1,300.000 tons in a year of low rainfall. A decision on the method of transporting the coal from the fields to Westport depended on an economic study oj the alternatives offering, and this study should be available within three Months. Mr Shand said. • The alternatives being considered were two mono-cable: ropeways, 20 miles long, from Stockton to Westport, reaching sea level at Sergeant’s Hill; motor transport on a new road between Stockton and Westport: or a combined system using the existing' Stockton-Ngakawau ropeway, possibly supplemented byroad transport from Stockton; to Ngakawau on a new route.’ From Ngakawau, the coal would be railed to Westport.' Housing Houses for the workers! could be built at Waimanga-i roa or Westport The method; of transporting the coal could i influence the choice, because’ a good road direct from the! coal-fields to Westport would’ make it easier to transport mine workers to Westport. The Westport Borough Council had offered a site for

.(houses. If the houses were, .'built at Westport, existing' i municipal services could be I iused. Assuming 300 to 400 houses i were required, land acqui-! sition should take six months from the time a decision was 1 ;made on where the houses! were to be built. That decis-; ion should follow soon after; the method of transporting, : the coal was resolved, Mr' ; Shand said. ■ Site development would; ] start in the middle of next! [ year. The erection of the first houses could start by early 1971, but the progress would be governed by the speed at .which sewerage, water and [drainage services could be [ provided. i

| If a ropeway was to be [built to transport the coal, (equipment would need to be specified within the next few [months and orders placed at the end of this year. Con[struction would start about] September. 1970. I If a high-standard road: [was needed, firm investigation and survey must be started immediately the decision was made, and major construction would need to I be under way in the summer I of 1969-70, Mr Shand said. Wharf Facilities The final design of the Westport wharf and bunkers depended partly on the form of coal transport. If a ropeway was chosen, plans could not be completed until about

the end of this year and construction would not start until about September next year. However, if circumstances required, a start might be made on the foundations in the 1969-70 summer. “The estimated times appear to disclose a serious gap in the employment situation, which is being actively investigated.” Mr Shand said. “There are various possible alternatives to ease the problem, among them the timing of the construction of facilities arid housing and the development of the programme in a way to fit in best with the existing labour force." An announcement would be made as soon as possible, Mr Shand said.