HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 January 1936, Page 7

HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER

POSITION OF MARLBOROUGH SCHEME A NELSON RESIDENT INSPECTS WAIHOPAI ADVOCACY OF THE COWAN Air H. G. Berryman, who lias returned to Nelson from a visit to MarlBorough, writes as follows : “As tlie position of Waihopai hydroelectric scheme and the attitude ot the Marlborough Rower Board in regard to the Gowan scheme has been tlie subject of much controversy for some time, and being keenly interested in the matter, which is of vital importance to Nelson, 1 was very pleased to accept Mr Stare s invitation and avail niysoll ol Hie kind offer oi the chairman of the .Marlborough Power Board to motor me. out to inspect the head works and Waihopai dam, etc., oil the 10th December, 1935, so that one might obtain first hand information as to the true position. “On our way to and fro we observed their splendid reticulation system and equipment. Their substantially builttowers and reinforced concrete poles have proved so very satisfactory and economical that Marlborough Power Board’s cost of maintenance of reticulation is the lowest in the Dominion. None of the concrete poles have required repairing or replacement since the works were started “In order to get a full view of the Waihopai dam, Mr Staco took me up about two miles beyond the head works. The .concrete dam was constructed across the Waihopai creek about two miles below Maori traffic Bridge some years ago at a cost of approximately £150,000. It was originally 80 feet and estimated to conserve sufficient- water power for the requirements of the whole district. But owing to erosion in the upper readies of the river, the Waihopai dam now reminds one of tlie Nelson mud flats when the tide, is out. It is filled up to the level of the spillway with mud ancl shingle, showing a crop of rushes growintr where the wivtcv was once 80 feet: deep in the dam, ancl the debris extending back beyond the bridge referred.to, which now shows only three or four feet of waterway below its decking and consequently the bridge is liable to become submerged or carried down over the spillway of the dam by the next flood. . . ~ ~.r , “On the date of our visit the vvnihopai river was about normal, being a few inches deep and say ten feet wide, winding its way over the accumulated rubbish to the gridiron entrance to the pipes leading down to the power-house. In order to keep the entrance to the powerhouse pipes clear of rubbish and mud a 12 inch siphon pipe has been placed through the wall ol the dam a few feet below the top of it. 11ns experiment seems to be successful so long as the two men on the scaffolding continue to agitato i-he mud with long poles, but we noticed that whenever they ceased stirring the water came through tlie pipe clear ancl of course such a large proportion of the river being thus wasted it, reduced the water power available for the turbines considerably. So that whilst the siphon pipe is doing good one way it is certainly reducing the generating power of this small river unci tendering tlie dam practically less than useless as a reservoir. And one would naturally expect to find the hole made m the mud and shingle, by the. efforts ot the two agitators solving the siphon, pipe, filled up again by the next Hood in the river. “As reported in tlie ‘Express Inc Marlborough Power Board has recently obtained the sanction of tlie Loans Board to submit a proposal to the ratepayers to borrow £22,000 lor tlie purpose of duplicating their present steam plant in order to provide enough electric energy to supply their present customers’ demand during dry seasons. In conversation with several of the older settlers ancl business people one gathered .that another loan—probably mvolving more power board rates or dearer light ancl power—is not a popular way out of their difficulties Indeed some ot the more interested settlers expressed the opinion, that instead of increasing their burden of debt by borrowing more money for steam power, the Waihopai turbines and other hydro equipment should be shifted over to the Gowan River, where the resources of Lake Itotoroa would never fail. And the chairman of the Marlborough Power Board told me quite frankly that he believed that- if Nelson had responded to lus Board’s appeal for co-operation a year ago the development of the Gowan scheme would now be well on the way. And Mr Stace further assured me that Marlborough Is still prepared to obliun all -their electric power from the Gowan when available and to hold their steam plant as a standby. In fact the Gowan scheme is spoken of by everybody intei - ested throughout the Marlborough district as the only satisfactory major scheme for the whole of the northern part of the South Island, to link up ultimately with the Lake Coleridge system. Mr Meachcn, the new M.P. tor Wairau, is very enthusiastic in regard to this important matter and lie promised me personally that lie would endeavour to get the lion. Air Semple, Minister of Public Works, to visit Lake Roto-j-oa at au early date, and cause a proper' investigation to bo made as lo the development of the Gowan scheme nuclei present economic condAions. Ihe present Government's policy as cxplamec by the Hon. M. Semple, is definitely opposed to ,any private company being allowed to usurp the prerogative ot the Crown in regard to hydro-eiectnc schemes. This js confirmed by corresponclencc .with Ml* Muuchcn, • > us stated in bis letter of recent date now j n my possession, which means that no governvnent subsidy or other perquisites would be available for the Ilume Pipe Company’s Cobb scheme as anticipated before .the election.