WATER POWER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7026, 14 January 1910, Page 6

WATER POWER

THE GOVERNMENT'S SCHEME FOR

LAKE COLERIDGE,

"BOMBSHELL" FOR CHRIST- • CHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

When the Prime Minister passed through Ohristchurch on his way to Wellington this week, ie received a deputation from the Christchurch City Council to whom he made an important statement regarding the Government's utilisation of water power. Mr T- E Taylor, in introducing the deputation, asked the Prime Minister if tho Government intended considering the question of granting the prayer of tho petition of the Christchurch City Council in connection with Jho Lake Coleridge hydro-electric power scheme.. Sir Joseph Ward stated that on the West Coast tho Gorernment had found that people were trying to sell the option of water rights at v.ery considerable profit. He suggested in regard to tne Lake Coleridge scheme that the council should write to him, or that a deputation from the council should wait on the Minister of Public Works and himself in Wellington, when the whole matter could bo gone into on its Hserits. Ho stated that next year the Government" intended •establishing the Lake Coleridge' installation. "In view of 'she fact that the City Council have iad several reports made on Hie soher. e, and have communicated t'ho important portions of them to th© Government, this announcement came somewhat in the nature of a bombshell," states the Christchurch "Press," which -adds that the Prime Minister's suggestion was adopted.' A deputation from Christchurch •will accordingly interview Sir Joseph at Wellington next Tuesday, when further particulars of tho Government's policy in regard; to water-power will ho disclosed. Sir Joseph's statement at Christchurch was hardly the "bombshell" it) is designated, for nearly a month ago he declared to a Christchuroh deputation .that the question was whether the Government would be acting on businesslike lines if it allowed water-power to be cheaply disposed of. ,and have to buy back power at a high rate. It was being considered whether the work of utilising. Lake Coleridge should not be dione by the Government itself. Lako Coleridge has a drainage area, of 86 square miles, and tho area of the lake is 13.8 square miles." Its altitude is 1667 ft above sea level, yet iS never freezes. The lako lies parallel to the Kakaia river valley, in a trough cut in the rock in the slopes of the valley. Its length;is eleven miles. The lake enables the fall in the Rakara river-bed in this distance to be utilised fo-r power purposes. . Tho late Mr P. S. 'Hay, formerly chief -engineer of Public Works, reporting upon the power possibilities of the lake in 1906, said: "Tho plans of further' surveys and data for this scheme are not yet to Ivvul. but on the fairly full information got at first, with subsequent information as to cost of electric plant, etc., the besf 'alternative scheme at Coleridge for tho generation of about 29,000 h.p. would cost £700,000. and the least cost in Christchurch of large supplies of power would be about £5 per horso power per year."