POWER FOR HUTT VALLEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 40, 17 February 1939, Page 8

POWER FOR HUTT VALLEY

MAINTAINING SUPPLY

QUESTION OF STANDBY

PLANT

"I think the time has arrived for this board to look seriously into the question of providing a standby plant," said Mr. S. Blackley at a meeting of the Hutt Valley Power Board yesterday afternoon. "I have been speaking to some of our clients, consumers, and manufacturers in the Hutt Valley, and they ha> been very perturbed about failures in supply. One man asked me my honest opinion in ' regard to the question. He asked me if I would advise him to install his own standby plant. I told him it was not necessary because I felt the board would realise its responsibilities to the consumers, individuals, factories, and also the dairy farmers." Mr. Blackley said that during the shut-downs that had occurred in the last couple of months there must have been hundreds and thousands of pounds lost to factories, and possibly some hundreds of employees had had'to suffer a reduction in wages because the board was unable to supply power. The board had a certain arrangement with -the Public Works Department to get a supply of power from Evans Bay in the event of a shut-down, but in this the board came second td the city of Wellington, and it was not good enough that the' consumers in the Kutt Valley should be shut-off and only Wellington consumers supplied. "I think it is up to us to see that a standby plant is provided in our own area," lie added. "The money would be well spent. In fact it" is a much more urgent matter than the spending of some thousands of pounds on new offices." - ,■•■,, He moved that the engineer, should be instructed to go. into the matter and report to a later meeting. The chairman (Mr. A. W. Press) said the board realised its responsibilities in the matter. He thought no harm would be done if an investigation of the possibilities of providing a standby plant were made. Mr. Blackley: During the recent breakdown we were helpless and the Public Works Department was helpless, and it will be the same nextbreakdown.

BETTER OFF NEXT TIME,

The chairman: Ido not think so. We are now getting a lead from the Wairarapa, and there is small chance of a similar failure. We might have been better off in the last breakdown had not the Evans Bay plant been under repair. Mr. P. Dowse: I suggest that the Minister of Public _Works be interviewed with a view to ascertaining his views on the matter. Personally I think the standby plant is absolutely necessary. The area is becoming more industrialised all the time, and our first •duty is to give the consumer his supply. It is the most important work we should engage upon. The thousands of pounds for new offices should come second to giving the consumers a reserve supply. ! Mr. E. F. Hollands said the board had an agreement with the Government not to install a reserve -supply; but he thought a recommendation to the Minister would get over that difficulty. Mr. BJackley's motion was carried.