CHAIN OF POWER STATIONS

Northern Advocate, 15 September 1934, Page 3

CHAIN OF POWER STATIONS

LINKING UP PROPOSAL. GOVERNMENT CONTROL. (From Our Parliamentary Special.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The linking up of the principal power stations of the South Island on lines similar to those of the North Island system is now a possibility, as it is understood the Public Works Department, and the Southland Power Board (owner of the Monowai power station), are negotiating for the taking over by the Government of the Monowai station. This, if effected, will result in the whole of the power supply from North Canterbury to the t>i< u, with the exception of the Dunedin local station at Waipori, being under the control of the Government. Although the negotiations going forward have been kept a close secret, : it appears certain' that they’ have, centred round the question of the control of the works at Monowai. It has frequently been suggested that Lake Monowai should be linked with Waitaki, which, in turn, is linked with the Coleridge scheme, thus covering | most of the South Island with a net- | work of reticulation, and if the Gov-,1 ernment has' that in view the control 1 1 of Monowai will be essential. On the other hand, the Southland Power Board, which borrowed extensively in London, has been put to considerable expense because of in-, creased exchange, and would probably be glad to pass the burden of the present financial debt on to the Government. In addition, many Southlanders assert that other parts of New Zealand have secured electric power at the State’s risk, and Southland should not be asked to carry the whole burden of providing power for that province. Apparently there has been some difference of opinion between. the public Works Department and the Treasury regarding the advisability of taking over the headworks, but it is understood that the department has framed concrete proposals for submission to the Southland Power Board. It is probable that an officer of the department will visit Invergill within the next week or so to meet the members of the board and place the department’s proposals before them.