QUEENSTOWN POWER SUPPLY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22835, 20 March 1936, Page 7

QUEENSTOWN POWER SUPPLY

SEPARATION FROM BOARD DEPUTATION TO MINISTER (From Our Special Reporter) QUEENSTOWN, March 19. A request that Queenstown should be allowed to separate from the Lake Wakatipu Power Board and continue to make its own arrangements for a supply of electric power was made to the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) by a deputation which waited on him at Queenstown to-day. The Mayor (Mr W. H. Overton) said that Queenstown commenced its own scheme in 1924, but latterly it had proved inadequate at peak times, and the necessity had arisen for more power. About two years ago the Lake Wakatipu Power Board had been formed, but so far it had done nothing, and if it took two years to do nothing how long, he asked, would it take to do something? Queenstown wished to be liberated from the Lake Wakatipu Power Board and to Join up with the Goldfields Dredging scheme at Wye Creek. Dr Anderson (medical superintendent of the Frankton Hospital and chairman of the Electric Lighting Committee of the Queenstown Borough Council), said the Goldfields Dredging Company’s power line went within half a mile of the hospital and was within four miles of Queenstown. Ample electric current could be received from that source if the Public Works Department would approve of the arrangement. The Minister said there was no power by statute to enable Queenstown to abandon the board and legislation would be required. He was absolutely against the rates for power being increased, and if continuing with the Lake Wakatipu Board would mean an increase in the price of power that fact would operate against the proposal. ’ “I have not heard the other side of it yet,” added the Minister, ‘ but you have put up a pretty strong case. If the Power Boards are going to increase the cost of power the sooner they get out of action; the better. I will have a look at the other side of the picture and let you know what I think.”