"GREAT & DARING VENTURE”

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 101, 27 January 1928, Page 8

"GREAT & DARING VENTURE”

ARAPUNI HYDRO-ELECTRIC WORKS SCHEME OF SOME CONCERN TO WELLINGTON POTENTIAL DANGERS NOW AVERTED The harnessing of vast power from the placid walers of the Waikato to be a stupendous dynamic force in the life and progress of a third of New Zealand could not be effected without great possibilities. Only a few people realise and appreciate the magnitude and daring of this great venture; and viewing the whole scheme from a layman’s point of view, one cannot but feel relieved that the potential dangers have been completely arrested.

These views were expressed yesterday by Mr. H. D. Bennett, Chairman of the City Council’s Works Committee, on his return to the city from an extensive northern tour) “Unlike some of the other big hydroelectric undertakings,”, said Mr. Bennett, “Arapuni has, perhaps, had more, than its share of publicity during the past few months on account of certain difficulties having been experienced bv the contractors—Armstrong, Whitworth and Co. I found during my recent tour that these great works had a certain magnetic attraction as there were people there from all parts of New Zealand, endeavouring to grasp the magnitude of the undertaking, which is certainly most impressive. I was fortunate in being there a few hours before the great waters were deviated into the by-channel to the new spillway—a vital time in the progress of the undertaking. To understand the job people have to appreciate that the waters of the Waikato have been imprisoned behind a huge dam (wide enough at the top to form a roadway) until a lake 18 miles in length has been formed. The dam is 290 feet in height, and it is about that level where an old channel diverges from the river-bank some distance upstream, and this has been seized upon as the overflow and spillway of this immense area of conserved, water. So you have a big dam holding some millions oft ons of water, with this reputedly old channel as the sdle means ot exit. At a certain point in the channel there is the spillwav where tile rushing waters are captured and directed toward the power-house. Question of Erosion. “It is along this new channel tliat all the erosion has taken place about which so much has been said. It was seemingly taken for granted that this old riverbed would have a more or less reliable foundation, b'ut in the thousands of vears which have passed since the ■ channel carried aiiv great body of water the earth has piled up and has served to carry forests of great antiquity, th? remains of which wore exposed by the erosibn that took place, .subsequent io the liberation of the water. “Whilst in the district, I had several opportunities of discussing tne scheme with interested people on the spot, and found that a great deal of credit had to be given to the engineers of the Public Works Department for tackling such a huge undertaking. Onlv a very few peonle realise and appreciate the. magnitude and daring of this great venture. The harnessing of such vast power from the placid waters of the Waikato to he such a stupendous dvnamic force in the life and of a third, of New Zealand riwlir’St be effected without great possibilities. “Scheme Quite Successful.” “A sufficient period of time has elapsed since the mwaters of the artificial lake were turned into the new channel to enable it to be said that the scheme has proved quite successful, but the potential danger which existed has perhaps never .been publicly expressed or admitted. Viewing the whole scheme from a layman’s point of view, one cannot but feel relieved that the potential dancers have been completely averted. “It does not call for a great stretch of imagination to picture the disastrous and destructive result to the many towns on the banks of the Waikato’for scores of miles on its way to the sea did the great dam not stand up to the experts’ calculations as to the strains and stresses engendered bv the pressure of an 18-milc lake against a sheer blockface of concrete. Had this not been ihe success it has so far proved to be. we may have had a repetition of the disasters which have occurred from burst dams in America, or the recent floods in the Mississippi and

Thames Valleys.” Air. Bennett also pointed out that the Arapuni scheme is of some direct Concern to Wellington, as it :s one of t e three big works that are to supply the whole of the North Island with e ectrical. energy. Its importance to Wellington, he said, had been accentuated within the last six weeks by the inability of the Afangahao installation to deliver t ie year-round load expected of it wl en the current agreement was made between the City Council and the Government. ____ ,