HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

Northern Advocate, 22 May 1929, Page 5

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY

POSITION SURVEYED,

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE,

(Per Pisss Association.—Copyright.' ' WELLINGTON, This Day.

A comprehensive resume of the progress of hydro-electric development schemes to date and of the contemplated new schemes to complete reticulation in districts not at present served, was given by the Minister of Public Works, .the Hon. E. A. Ransom, when addressing the Electric Supply Authority Engineers’ Conference. Since his appointment he had visited all the under,takings already in operation and most of those in course of construction. He mentioned that it was expected that .the first unit of 15,000 k.w. at Arapuni would be available about Juno 1, and it. would afford great relief to the Auckland district. The bulk of the work had already been ddne; ’ The most' expensive ..part of the scheme made, provision for eight units and while it had been suggested that only -three should be brought into operation, it was now thought necessary to provide a fourth and this had been ordered.

In regard to the Gowan River scheme for Marlborough and Nelson, a report was under consideration and probably some announcement would be made in the near future as to the possibility of going -on with the scheme.

. The erection of additional transmission lines to connect Arapuniand Waikaremoana. was under consideration, so that in event of a temporary failure in respect to either system, the additional provision would be able to take over the load. It was further proposed to make an extension system from Wanganui to Taranaki.

In regard to Waitaki, the Department .was considering the advisability, of taking current from Oamaru to Dunedin.

He referred to the necessity of extending the Waipori plant and said negotiations were in hand for the Gov eminent to take it over with that end in view. -