Telecommunications network sought
PA Wellington The Electricity Corporation should retain control of its own telecommunications network in spite of monopoly powers proposed for Telecom under new legislation, it said yesterday. The Electricity Corporation told the Commerce and Marketing Select Committee hearing
submissions on the State Enterprises Restructuring Bill that Telecom, one of the three new Post Office corporations, would have “an exclusive monopoly” of telecommunications. Any other organisation would have to apply for a licence to have its own network.
However, the corporation said control of its own telecommuncations was essential for technical work and public safety, collecting data and rapid reaction to a blackout or any other emergency, and protection of the electricity system.
It asked the committee to consider amending the bill so that the Electricity Corporation did not need a licence, or otherwise having a statute empower-
ing it to have the appropriate licence granted. The corporation also said the new bill would not allow it to transfer land which was subject to pastoral lease — specifically referring to the whole of the Waitaki Basin. It told the select committee that “a tidy-up exercise” was needed.
As the bill stood, the Crown would not be able to deal with the problem of a “substantial part of the Upper Waitaki power scheme ... built on land subject to lease.”
Another concern of the Electricity Corporation was that, under proposals in the bill, it would not have the traditional backing of the Crown to enter land and put up transmission lines.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19870423.2.70
Bibliographic details
Press, 23 April 1987, Page 9
Word Count
250Telecommunications network sought Press, 23 April 1987, Page 9
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.