NEW POWER HOUSE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1935, Page 11

NEW POWER HOUSE

ERECTION AT DAWSON FALLS. SELECTION OF NEW SITE. A scheme for the . re-erection of the power house at Dawson • Falls on , a ' site near the gravel pit on the hostel side of the Kapuni River was approved > . at a meeting of the South Committee of the Egmont National Park Board at Eltham. It was decided to proceed im- -X® mediately with the scheme, which was . submitted by Mr. T. R. Overton, engineer to the South Taranaki Power ’ Board. The scheme adopted provides for a building about one and a-half chains from the old power house. The station will be at a level nine and a-half feet above the old station and about two chains from the hostel. The work will , be supervised by Mr. Overton. , The scheme will be financed from * v : loans which have been made to the committee by the Mount Egmont Alpine Club, Mr. L. O. Hooker and a member of the club who wishes to remain anonymous. Offers of these loans were accepted with thanks by the committee, which decided to pay interest on the amounts. In reply to a question Mir. Overton said that the loss in power was serious only when the water was low, usually in February. Otherwise the supply was ample. \ , 1 j’ Mr. Tait considered that the committee would be safe if the power house were built on the gravel pit side. In 65 years he could not remember the water ever covering the old site. If there was any erosion it would be . ‘ on both sides, said Mr. Overton. He did not think that there would be any advantage in erecting the power house in the bush, further away from the stream, as x there was a danger in moving from ' the rock foundation. Mr. Long suggested that a deflecting groyne might be erected to cany away . some of the boulders, ensuring that the bed of the stream would not be raised. It was decided to hold the next meeting of the committee at Dawson Falls in order that members might inspect the site and consider the matter. It was decided to communicate with - Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., advising him' that, if possible, the committee desired < Sir Alexander Young during his proposed visit to Taranaki to officially open the new power house. Those present were Messrs. W. G. Walkley (chairman), A. V. Tait, E. Long, W. M. Barker, J. B. Murdoch, F. Mourie, ' G. J. Bayley, E. L. Abbott, A. R. Bates, R. Syme, I. J. Bridger and T. R. Over- . ton. .