HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 125, 19 February 1921, Page 7

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

A POVERTY BAY SCHEME MAY INDIRECTLY BENEFIT WELLINGTON B.r Teleeraoh.— Special Correspondent. Gisborne, February 18. Hydro-electric power works which are being installed near Rakaora, 38 miles from Gisborne, in the Waikohu Valley, were inspected to-day by the travelling members of Parliament. At present the enterprise is a private one. the plan was to supply power to Gisborne and district by July next, the total cost being .£.'!00,000. Until recrncly tne municipal authorities of Gisborne have not favoured the scheme, but have'lea ked instead towards the power source at Waikaremoana. Now these differences htve been buried and the speedy development of the Waikohu scheme is desired so that power may be ootained while the Waikaremoana sctiemo is being developed. The company, however, has met with financial difficulties, the financial stringency making it impossible for it to call up more share capital. Mr. H. Delatour, the chairman, explained to the visitors that the only object of tho private venture was to supply cheap power to the Poverty Bay district. He had seen Mr. Massey, who had recommended that a power board should be formed, to which the company should sell out. Probably an Arrangement of this kind wouki he made/ line! as legislation might be necessary he was glad that some of the members had been able to see what was being attempted for a district which had no coal and which had to depend for supplies upon an inadequate, shipping service. It was stated that Mr. E. Parry had commended tho scheme as a. good connecting link between Waikaremoana and Arapuni. Mr. G. Wildish; Mayor of Gisborne, supported the speaker, and Mr. S. Williams, M.P., for the district, said that this power would develop the district enormously. When the visitors saw the district they wouhj realise that the scheme was worthy of their suport Shaking for tho visitors, Mr. J. P. Luke said that, without seeing details, he could not give a conclusive opinion, k'Ut it the scheme had tho approval of Mr. Coates’s experts it was a sound one. He realised the importance of hydroelectric power to the district, amt declared that if they* could anticipate the development of Waikaremoana. by two or three years it would be a. good business siropositidn. lie hoped that they would be able to meet all their wants out of this scheme, so that th« city of Wellington could get some of the Waikaremoana surplus. The plan is to dam a rocky gorge and create a lake of -180 acres. From this a tunnel is to be driven through a hill a distance of two miles. This will connect with surge pipes, which will give a fall of 900 ft .to the power house on the banks of the Waikohu River. This is estimated to develop 8000* horse-power. It is contended that it will be a very cheap undertaking. So far the company has spent .£lOO,OOO. A long road has been made to the scene of operations, a modern camp is established, and a number of drives have been made into the north side of the hill to make it possible for the tunnel to be driven rapidly.