HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEMES FOR SOUTH ISLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1947, Page 6

HYDRO-ELECTRIC SCHEMES FOR SOUTH ISLAND

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Details of the hydro-electric power schemes planned and in the course of construction for the South Island, were given this morning by the Minister of Works (Mr Semple). He said Cabinet had lately approved the expenditure of £2,000,000 on the Cobb scheme, which will serve the NelsonMarlborough area, and had directed that the work proceed immediately. He said that a vigorous start had been made on the construction of a barrage to store water in Lake Pukaki to increase the amount of power which will be made available from the Waitaki station. The Minister said that in the short time since the work commenced there rapid progress had been achieved by using diesel-driven excavation equipment for the sluice-way structure, as the excavation was completed last week and the work on -the structure should commence almost immediately. Referring to the development of the Clutha river at Coal Creek, Mr Semple said preliminary investigations to determine the best site were well in hand, and it should be possible within the next few months to decide the exact location of the dam and to fix its dimensions and other characteristics.

“This dam,” he said, “will be a long way the largest so far constructed in New Zealand and the development will rank among the large hydro-electric schemes of the world.” Expressing satisfaction with the tunnelling progress being made on the Tekapo scheme, the Minister said there was, however, a reasonable prospect that the speed of this work might be still further increased to a point where it would exceed anything so far achieved in a tunnel of comparable size.