Bid for underground wires

Press, 14 March 1977, Page 4

Bid for underground wires

Gwynfa Avenue, Cashmere. will be the scene of some heavy works in the near future. Water mains, drains, kerbing and chanelJing. and finally tarsealing. The residents now want their electric mains put underground at the same time. ! Gwynfa Avenue is a private right-of-way with 24 houses. It is a rating district within the Heathcote County. Council, and deals with the’ council through its resident’s association. Once each year, after a meeting of all residents, representatives tell the council which works they want done; and the council strikes the rates. Having planned this year for a water main and fire hydrants, stormwater drains, kerbing and channelling. and tar sealing the

road, they have now decidedi that they would like their electric mains put underground. In a letter to the council, considered by the electricity committee, they asked if they would have to pay a special rate, or pay cash. The electrical engineer, (Mr 1. R. Densem) told the meeting that whatever was done, the overhead wires would have to be replaced in five years, and would cost about $l5OO. Cr E. L. Tyndall said it was the council’s policy to encourage underground wiring, and he thought the residents should perhaps pay the difference between the cost of that and replacing the overhead wires. Mr Densem told him the differ-1

ence would be about $2500.' Because of the incentive! offered by the council for: underground wiring, it was! decided that each resident' would be given 15m of free main on to the section, instead of 10m. and if any I decided after paying his I share for the street main. I that he did not want under-' ground wire to the house, he' would get 10m of cable and a pole. There was one problem, however, said Mr Densem. One resident in the road wanted to dissociate himself from the residents’ association. He had a right-of-way in Gwynfa Avenue anil another in Hackthorne Road,' and he wanted his wires to' come in from Hackthorne' Road, and he was prepared Ito pay for it.

' The chairman (Cr E. G. I Collins) said he thought a I person was deemed to live in I the street on to which his 'car was driven from his I garage. I “That’s right,” said Mr I Densem. "and right now he’s I planning to sell his garage land his right-of-way to his (next-door neighbour.” I The committee decided that the over-riding consideration was that his sewage! went into the Gwynfa Avenue pipes, and he was' therefore a resident of that street. “He can’t alter that,”' said Cr J. Richardson. The committee asked Mr| 'Densem to make an accurate' iassessment of the cost of thel I two types of wiring, and sub-1 intit them to the finance comImittee for consideration. i" —