THE HUNUA FALLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15479, 10 December 1913, Page 9

THE HUNUA FALLS.

PROPOSED power scheme.

ESTIMATED COST, £33.5C0.

I UP, scheme to erect a station at the Hunua Falls, on the Wairoa River, for the purpose of generating electricity, was discussed at a meeting of the Manukau County Council yesterday, at which there were present Messrs. 11. R. McKenzie (chairman), A. I). Bel!. F. 11. Brownhill, •L C. Bryant, and Captain Colbeck. In reply to the council's letter applying for a license to use the falls for hydraulic power, the Prime Minister said that the Minister for Public Works did not propose, to raise any objection to the utilisation of the falls by the Countv Council. He explained, however, that before such a license could be issued the council would have to nuke application in terms of the regulations governing the procedure in such matters, and, moreover, it could only be issued on the assumption that the adjoining local bodies would offer no valid objection thereto. The Prime Minister further pointed out that a license in such ■i case would not absolve the council from liability should any person claim compensation for damage caused by the exor cise of the vested rights. The chairman remarked that the principal question was one of finance, and one which should be decided by the rate payers. There was no doubt that the distribution of electrical energy would be of advantage to the country, but the whole scheme would have to be carefully considered.

| Mr. L. J. Fenn, consulting electrical engineer, stated that he had inspected tho tails on December 1, when he found the river much above its normal height, and about double the winter How. About a mile above the falls lie measured the volume of water, and estimated that it was capable of generating between 700 and 800 horse-power. This calculation agreed with that made by an officer of the I üblie Works Department, who recorded 310 horse-power after a long dry spell of weather during the winter, In Hit summer months the water would drop considerably, and it would therefore be necessary to construct a dam which would enable them to have a minimum of 300-h.p nil the year round.

A larger dam with a storage capacity of. say, 10,000,000 cubic feet of water, would give a maximum power of 400 to 100-h.p at the minimum period of the year. I Ins would not be the limit of the power obtainable, for the average How would greatly exceed the minimum, and by the use of a small auxiliary engine during the dry periods of the year the minimum power could be greatly increased. b Further developments of the water power itself .could probably be made, ' n "^' t "'crease the effective power very 1 considerably, but these possibilities snSv y, iM 6 ascertained after a detailed survey. Iho scheme which .Mr. Fcnii avoured was the medium one, which would supply from 400 to 450 li.p With this power 1520 units per dav could be fold. Ihe nature of the land was in every ""M to the work, and no extraordinary engineering difficulties would ha c to he overcome. The total cost of the work, including the laying of transmission wir?s throughout the district, but excluding the purchase price of land he roughly estimated at about £33,500. ' The working expenses would amount to about 10 000 VMr II h the power available 0.000 50 candle-power lamps could safely »e connected up. beside., motors with « power Th. , twecn 500 .f' 1 600 horsefromfid h:' charge would probably be for mofor r> f °'' llghtm *' and al) out oli o motor power - per unit. Large motors SI ,V" [1|,1,(1d at " slightly lower price . Should the council consider the scheme SSftVfc '" n l aiJvus « that a weir t lit lhe built " nidiat<,l . v - which could t)i watched '» order to determine with arable accuracy the amount of the the rah,fall 01 "" ™ k,r " Khi ™ 'to

The question will be further considered at a special meeting of representatives of h yantuis 'oca! bodies interested, to be !,, llle Manukau County Council's Mr""] 'enJ will l" I ''' 10 ' 13 " 1914 ' at which 'it. i inn will be present.