WAITAKI SCHEME

Evening Star, Issue 21080, 18 April 1932, Page 10

WAITAKI SCHEME

LETTER FROM MINISTER The Minister of Public Works (Hon. .1. G. Coates) has forwarded a reply to a lettef addressed to him by the Power Vigilance Committee of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association regarding the reported suspension of work on the Waitaki power scheme. The text of the compiittee’s letter is as follows: — “ Statements in the Press that it is proposed to stop work on the Waitaki hydro-electric works have come to tho notice of the Electricity Vigilance Committee of this chamber, and the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, and with a view to giving careful consideration to the problem in tho light of this chamber’s recognition of tho difficulties of Government finance at the present time, I am directed to ask if you can place at the disposal of the committee the following information:— “1. The total cost of the works to date. “ 2. Estimated cost of completion. “3. Estimated cost of completing tho dam only, across the full width of tho river to a height that will ensure a solid foundation for tho completion of the dam so that such final work could bo carried out in any season without delay and so that such foundation portion of tho dam will bo invulnerable to flood damage.” MINISTER’S REPLY. Tho following is tho text of the Minister’s reply, which is dated April 13 :— “ Replying to your questions with regard to the Waitaki hyclro-c’rctrx works, 1 have to advise that the figures in connection with the questions asked by you arc roughly as follows; * 1. £1,400,000. 2. £2,300,000. 3. £350,000. “ The second figure is dependent to a considerable degree on the funds available to tho Government, and consequently, the rate at which it will be possible to carry on the works. ” The answer to No. 3 is difficult to estimate with any degree of exactitude, as until such lime as tho coffer dam has been driven and the site umvatered it is impossible to say what difficult;''* will he encountered, and what amount of excavation, and consequently of eoncrete, will he required. ” If the works cannot bo carried uninterruptedly to completion in accordance with tho original programme for financial reasons, it can be by uo means taken as certain that the tcnlut vu programme evidently in tho mind oi your chamber is Ibo correct one to follow. As you will see from the figure:;, if would involve a greater amount of money being available for Wailak, than is available for all bydro-c'cctrie undertaking;. in the dominion.”

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