Power to Niue

Mana (Auckland), Volume 2, Issue 3, 4 May 1978, Page 4

Power to Niue

Niue may still be debating whether electricity is a luxury or a necessity, but it is now a reality for everyone.

With Liku’s turn on last month, all 13 villages are now drawing power from the Electricity Scheme. Over 90 per cent of the houses on the Island are linked directly and others can be if they wished. Begun in 1975 following a promise by the late Norman Kirk as Prime Minister of New Zealand, the scheme has installed five generators with a total capacity of 890 kilowatts and distributed power throughout the Island. The scheme, which was carried out under the N.Z. bilateral aid programme, cost about 900,000, and should be finished completely in another five months.

Almost ten New Zealanders, averaging about three at a time have been involved in setting up the scheme which will be handed over the Billy Tukutama. the only New Zealand trained and registered Niuean electrician on the island.

The scheme has considerably changed the way of life for many Niueans and will do so more as people find the money to buy and run electrical appliances. Having electric lights has brought a new dimension to the night and electric washing machines and refrigeration are fast becoming desirable possessions. It is enough to make one wonder how Niue has survived these countless generations without such commodities from the 20th century and as to how the people will handle these changes.