WAIPORI HEADWORKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 33

WAIPORI HEADWORKS.

A SIGNIFICANT ANNOUNCE-

MENT,

POWER FROM WAITAKI.

CITY’S AGREEMENT WITH GOVERNMENT.

It has been rumoured in the city for the past day or two that important negotiations between the City Council and the Government for the supply of electric power from Waitaki have been completed, and that the position in regard to the continuation of work on the big 110 ft dam at Waipori may be materially affected. It has now been disclosed that under the arrangement come to the city is to be supplied in two years with power from Waitaki. The arrangement further provides that the period of supply will be for 10 years, the amount of cm i ent supplied to be increased annually until the end of the term.

The agreement, although at present a matter of 10 years, will be reconsidered at the end of the decade, provision having been made for an extension of the period if necessary.

The agreement may be sand to involve what is probably the most important event in the history of Waipori, since the council will now be asked to decide whether the postponement of present construction work on the dam will not be in the best interests of the city, despite the fact that many thousands of pounds have already been expended on the project. Members of the City Council will visit Waipori on Thursday to acquaint themselves with the actual position at present. Having satisfied themselves as to the extent of the work already accomplished, they will then have to decide whether, in the event of the work being abandoned, the dam should be left as it is, or whether certain work should be completed so as to stabilise the dam and secure it permanently against a possible future decision of the corporation to resume construction.

This announcement, it may be suggested, explains Cr Shacklock’s guarded reference at the last meeting of the City Council to the city’s power supply when he indicated that the whole of the corporation’s development scheme would have to be made the subject of an exhaustive review in the near future. It w-as, however, he said, inadvisable to make any public statement in that regard at the present juncture. Moreover, anything he could say now would be premature. THE MAYOR’S STATEMENT. Our representative interviewed the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black) on Saturday with respect to the latest disclosure, and was given the following statement: “ Consumers of electricity will be pleased to learn that negotiations are nearing completion whereby a block of power will be available in two years from Waitaki. This opens up the question of the height of the new dam. The council will probably visit Waipori next Thursday to view the works so that this question may be fully discussed. If on full investigation it is found that further work of any nature on the new dam can be deferred for several years, a consider able sum of money will be saved. The raising of the old dam to 60 feet, thus impounding 37,000 acre feet of water instead of 20,000 acre feet, has altered the position for another year at least. Building a line to connect Waitaki with Dunedin is a matter of urgency, so that, when Waitaki is ready to supply power, the line will be available to convey the power. The position will then be that Dunedin will have Waipori and a standby plant in Waitaki in case of need, without extra cost to the ratepayers or consumers.” CR SHACKLOCK’S OPINION. Cr Shacklock, asked to make a statement in his capacity of chairman of the Electric Light and Power Committee of the City Council, said there was little he could add to what had already been said by the Mayor. He would like to remind ratepayers, however, that to appreciate the greatest advantage of the agreement which had been entered into, and which he considered to be a very good one, they should at once review the whole question of the capital expenditure over the next few years, not forgetting to consider the problem of possible delays in the construction of the dam, the erection of bridges, and other necessary work. The agreement would

alsojje regarded as an insurance against a complete cessation of power supply from Waipori. Cr Shacklock added that the experience gained in the next 10 years would indicate whether increased storage facilities were necessarv. In answer to a question, Cr Shacklock said that he. had no doubt that the dam would eventually be filled even after it had been raised to a height of 110 feet. It would probably take several years, particularly if they experienced a few dry seasons. Even with the dam at its present height it would be a long time before it was filled.