STAND-BY POWER PLANTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1082, 20 September 1930, Page 11

STAND-BY POWER PLANTS

EMERGENCY GENERATION BY STEAM DOMINION-WIDE POLICY TEE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Friday. A statement that he was preparing proposals to be placed before Cabinet to provide for a system of electricpower stand-by plants throughout the Dominion was made by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, to a deputation of Canterbury members of Parliament, who waited upon him in reference to the acute problem of the power shortage in their province. Mr. Taverner promised that he would see that Canterbury had a stand-by plant by next winter to make up for the present shortage. Mr. Taverner also intimated that he would not stand in the way of the Christchurch City Council in the development of a power system on the Waimakariri River. The existing - stand-by plants were quite inadequate through the Dominion generally, said Mr. Taverner. He emphasised the peculiar weather conditions New Zealand had experienced during the past six months and the failures at Lake Coleridge, Arapuni and Waipori to cope with the demands made on them. If mistakes had been made —and they appeared to have been in the past—said the Minister, the best thing to do was to tackle the problem as it stood. tTnfortunately, in every centre whece hydro-electric power had been generated. the demand had exceeded the supply and policy in this respect had not kept pace with the industries. The provision of stand-by plants was of supreme importance and he intended to see that they were provided. The shortages plainly showed that adequate provisions must be made for steam-generated plants to take up the load when required. “At the moment we are going into the whole question and I hope before long to be able to submit to Cabinet proposals for a general policy regarding the supply of electricity in New Zealand. The stand-by plants today are totally inadequate for the job and that is one of the reasons why Christchurch and Timaru and other districts are going short.”