KARAPIRO LAKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25050, 14 November 1944, Page 6

KARAPIRO LAKE

NATIONAL PLAYGROUND CONFERENCE TO BE HELD A conference representing local bodies and interested organisations, convened by the Mayor of Cambridge, Mr W. Moore, and the chairman of the Matamata County Council, Mr E. D. White, will be held at Cambridge tomorrow to consider means of preserving the surroundings of the lake to be formed- on the Waikato River abovei the Karapiro power dam as a national playground or recreation centre. Invitations have been sent to the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and several Ministers, and it is hoped that the Government will be represented. The lake will extend over about 15 miles of the river, which flows northward from the Arapuni power-house for approximately half that distance and then westward for the remainder until the Karapiro darn is reached. The Cambridge-Rotorua main highway runs beside the right bank from Karapiro to the right-angle bend near Horahora, and then departs eastward. From the bend a county road runs south to Arapuni. When the lake is full the main highway at the petrol station near the bend will be submerged to a depth of 30ft and the road will therefore be deviated through a bush reserve at a higher level. Deviations will also be required at three places on the county road. A new bridge will be built near the bend to serve farmlands south and west of the river. It is stated that except for road deviations the Works Department has not concerned itself Avith the land outside the shoreline of the lake at its maximum level. As the main highway will run fairly close to the future shoreline for about four and a-half miles, and the county road will follow it higher up for about seven miles, it is felt that measures should he taken to obtain for the' public, if possible, all the land between both roads and the lake. If this is not done, it is considered, the landowners will be pressed to sell sections with riparian rights as sites for week-end cottages and huts, and travellers on one of the most frequented New Zealand touring routes will be denied access to picnic grounds and the appearance of the whole neighbourhood will be spoiled. Hopes are held that eventually a fishing lodge may bo built at the head of the lake, whe're there will be a stretch of fast water very suitable for trout. A motor camp across the lake at the Horahora bridge and_ facilities for boating near the camp will be other attractions. It is proposed that a backwater near the Karapiro dam shall be set apart as a game sanctuary. POWER SUPPLY AUCKLAND INCREASE QQOD FINANCIAL POSITION Sales of current showed an increase under all headings, stated the halfyearly report of the general manager, Mr R. H. Bartley, presented at a meeting of the Auckland ElectricPower Board yesterday. The total revenue was £548,516, compared with £513,242 for the corresponding period of last year. The increase was £35,274. Working expenses were shown at £345,676, leaving a balance to be carried to the net revenue account of £202,840. Total net revenue was shown at £112,841, compared with £124,737 last year, surplus for the half-year was £89,998, compared with £46,121 last year, an increase of £43,877. There had been an increase in the units sold under all classifications of supply, except for a slight reduction in the street lighting units, the report continued. Average not revenue showed a slight increase over last year, and total working costs were slightly lower. The maximum load had increased. The board had every reason to regard the position as extremely satisfactory, in spite of the fact that revenue from October 1 would be somewhat less because of the reductions made by the board recently in domestic supply tariffs. The chairman, Mr S. J. Harbutt, said he thought members would be pleased to hear that outgoings for interest and other charges on loans had been reduced 50 per pent in the last ten years. Again, as a result of using the plant at almost 100 per cent efficiency, working costs had been reduced by about half. In the next 12 months the board would be repaying £750,000 in loan money, and it would have to raise about £370,000. The net reduction in liabilities would then be about £400,000. They must not overlook the fact that they had very heavy expenditure ahead, involved in the Newmarket building and in the changeover from direct to alternating current. Under the present conditions, the board would be unwise to launch out on reductions other than those made this year. The report was adopted. MAIZE PRODUCTION SEED FOR COB PURPOSES "There is no restriction on the sale of seed maize for cob production," said Mr Ross Fraser, chairman of the Maize Marketing Committee, yesterday. Merchants in the districts in which maize is grown as a crop for maturing and shelling had ample supplies of seed maize for that purpose and were doing their best to obtain increased production. The growing areas were mainly the Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay and Hawke's Bay, the quantity of maize grown in other localities being infinitesimal, although if any was required for seed production it would be made available immediately. The total quantity used for seed was small, as the usual sowing was only about 141b to the acre.

Mr Eraser said that in the Auckland and Taranaki districts a substantial quantity of maize was customarily sown for green feed purposes, and, while a generous quantity of this season's crop had been made available for this purpose, the committee was xmable to release further supplies for green feed production owing to the urgent calls on tlio small quantity still remaining for other stock feeding requirements.