COUNTY INSPECTED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 48, Issue 2887, 31 March 1939, Page 5

COUNTY INSPECTED

COROMANDEL DISTRICT POWER BOARD OFFICIALS FAVOURABLE IMPRESSION POSITION REGARDING SUPPLY On a tour of inspection in order that they could familiarise themselves with the country in the event of Coromandel county becoming an inner area of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board, the chairman of the board, Mr J. Price, of Matamata, and the deputy-chairman, Mr F. E. Flatt, of Paeroa, on Tuesday and Wednesday, accompanied by the chief engineer, Mr N. G. McLeod, visited the county.

They proceeded via Whangamata, Hikuai, Tairua and Coroglen to Whitianga and thence to Kuaotunu, returning to Mercury Bay and on to Coromandel. Here they were met by the county chairman, Mr O'. C. Rae, and the county clerk, Mr J. H. Lucas.

Trip Past Colville

The party remained in Coromandel and the next day proceeded to Colville and as far as the junction of the Port Charles and Port Jackson

roads before returning to Coromandel and Thames.

At Coromandel the boara officials consulted with the county chairman and clerk concerning the move for the county to become an inner area of the board. Until that step was taken the board could not legally expend any of its funds on the county for surveys, etc. Petition. Prepared I At present a petition has been prepared so that the county may be taken into the power board’s area but it has been held up for over a month in the Public Works Department’s office v at Wellington awaiting approval. It is stated that the power board officials were very favourably impressed with the possibilities of the county for taking electricity supply, expressing surprise at the amount of occupied country in the district. Discount For Cash In a telephone interview with a representative of the Gazette yesterday, Mr McLeod outlined the procedure before power could be supplied to Coromandel. The board required i 15% of the capital cost in the form of revenue for power purchases, a’dministration, etc., but if consumers took advantage of the 20% discount for cash the net amount required in the way of guarantees would be 12%. j In reply to further inquiries Mr Me- j Leod stated that he expected power j to be available on the Thames coast before Christmas. The extension of the board’s lines as far as Tapu would benefit Coromandel as it would tend to decrease the cost of taking power to that county. One of the greatest difficulties connected with supplying the peninsula with electricity was the j sparsely-settled areas through which the lines had to pass in order to reach the populated portions. County As “Inner Area”

Once the county becomes an inner

area of the board, detailed estimates

of cost and the amount of guarantees could be ascertained and then the settlers would be in a position to look forward to the installation of power. The county clerk, Mr Lucas, has written to the Public Works Department’s head office urging that the petition should be returned so 'that it can be circulated.