Twizel jobs sought

Press, 5 August 1976, Page 1

Twizel jobs sought

The lure of more than $2OO a fortnight in the hand and a good house to rent for $3.50 a week is causing scores of Christchurch men to seek jobs at Twizel. Ministry of Works and Development employment officers began yesterday to recruit further staff for the Upper Waitaki power scheme, and met a strong response.

Two officers were fully occupied handling inquiries from tradesmen and construction workers who are sorely needed at Twizel to maintain the present rate of progress. One of the officers, Mr P. Dobson, said that the Ministry needed 120 men between now and the end of October to add to the present work-force. The extra manpower was required to replace those who had left, and to fill additional vacancies. There would be guaranteed permanent employment at Twizel for the next eight years, with prospects

of going on to other major construction work elsewhere when the Upper Waitaki scheme was completed. Mr Dobson said. The hard core of the Twizel work team comprised men who had started with the Ministry in the days of the Roxburgh

hydro scheme more than 25 years ago, said Mr Dobson. Since then, second and third generations of the same family has taken jobs with the Ministry. The predominant reasons why people left the work were people’s desire to buy their own homes while the property market was in buyers’ favour and to establish their children in occupations.

Mr Dobson said that Twizel’s population had now reached 5500, and would probably peak about 6000. The works programme was about to speed up again now that winter was over.

"Through the summer, we will work flat out in more than 100 categories of occupations, he said. Mr Dodson and his associate, Mr B. Phibbs, will return to Twizel tomorrow, but will continue to accept applications for employment from people they do not see during their present visit to Christchurch.