LEGISLATION FOLLOWS DISASTROUS FIRE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22761, 6 October 1948, Page 3

LEGISLATION FOLLOWS DISASTROUS FIRE

(P.R.)

WELLINGTON, Oct. G.

A sequel to the disastrous John Burns’ fire in Auckland and subsequent litigation against the Auckland Electric Power Board is to he found in a section of the Electricity Amendment Bill introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives yesterday. The bill validates the regulations affecting installations, some of which had been held invalid by the Privy Council.

'The hill also provides for registration against the title to land of agreements for rural reticulation.

Outlining the provisions of the bill, the Minister in charge of the State Hydro-Electric Department, Mr. R. Semple, said a consumer might leave the property or die soon after a line was Dut in and the bill was designed to protect supply authorities against such events. A supply authority usually required a guarantee of a return of approximately 15 per cent on the capital cost of putting in a line before extending lines to sparsely populated areas. Agreements would remain registered against the title to land until such time as the obligations and benefits of the agreement were fulfilled.