ABILITY TO SUPPLY POWER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 19 September 1942, Page 2

ABILITY TO SUPPLY POWER

WAIMKA POWER BOARD DISCUSSION In view of the recently-published report of an offer by the Electricity Department to supply power to the Marlborough district from the Cobb scheme, the Waimea Electric Power Board, at its meeting yesterday ex- j pressed doubt as to the ability of the Cobb scheme to supply sufficient power to meet the requirements of the Nelson districts and Marlborough as well, unless a dam was built at the Cobb. An agreement with the company which originated the scheme had ensured prior rights of supply to the Waimea Power Board, guaranteeing to meet the full power requirements j of that board before supplying to any i other supply authority. Under Gov- ; ernment control no such guarantee j was given. The board was concern- I ed at the possibility that the demands I made by the Marlborough Power Board would be such as to limit the supply of power which could be made available in the Waimea and Nelson “The time has come to confer with Marlborough over this matter,” sa*d Mr W. Max. “Great benefit cou.d ne derived by both working together. We should also have some idea ot their demands.”

The chairman (Mr H. E. Stephens) said that he could not visualise the line being put through to Marlborough during the war, at least. He suggested that the board should wait and see what reply was received to the Marlborough Power Board’s request to instal a new turbine at Waihopai. He considered that if that request was granted it would be a fairly definite indication that a transmission line to Marlborough would not be going through for some years. The board’s engineer, Mr N. A. Andrews, said that he had recently had a discussion with the Nelson District Electricity Controller (Mr E. B. Mackenzie) who had stated that the work on the Cobb scheme was going ahead with the labour available. Certain special steel which had not yet arrived was causing some delay.

It was decided that the chairman (Mr Stephens) should discuss With the District Electricity Controller the position of the Cobb works at the present time, and try to obtain some indication of when the scheme was likely to reach completion and also of its ability to meet the full requirements likely to be made upon the works without a dam being built. A motion was carried to this effect, the chairman being requested to furnish a full report at next month’s meeting of the board.