THE SUB-STATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19604, 26 September 1933, Page 5

THE SUB-STATION

REMOVAL TO NEW SITE OFFERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO COST The Timaru Borough Council at their ordinary meeting last night, were informed that the South Canterbury Power Board had decided to adhere to the following resolutions previously passed concerning the Grant's Hill Sub-Station:— (1) “That the Timaru Borough Council be advised that the Board cannot bear any of the expense asked for by the Public Works Department, in connection with the shifting of Grant’s Hill sub-station. (2) "That the Board have no objections to extension of the Timaru Borough Council's electricity license for underground cable from the present license area to the proposed substation, provided the Timaru Borough Council pay all expenses Incurred by the Power Board in the alterations of their lines, found necessary by the alteration of the site of the substation.” Mayor’s Letter to Minister. The following letter was forwarded by the Mayor (Mr T. W. Satterthwaite) to the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. Bitchener) under date of September 15:— “With reference to your letter of the 18th July, promising ,to place before Cabinet for consideration the question of the Government meeting half the additional cost that would be incurred by the Public Works Department in moving the sub-station site, the Council as agents for the interested parties to pay £5”,600. I have now received a communication from Messrs Tripp and Rolleston that the Grants have Instructed them to state that they will pay £IOOO. and Mr J. P. Newman, who is interested in some land to that direction, will pay £SO. Together with the sum already agreed to be paid by the Timaru Borough Council, this brings the total up to £2,550 or £l,lOO short, of the required amount. “I regret that the suggestion we made to the Power Board, that they should contribute, has not met with any response. The Board is making no objection to the shifting of the substation, so long as it is not asked to bear any part of the cost, either of moving the sub-station or to any alteration of their own lines found necessary by the alteration of the site. “Although the amount forthcoming is not as much as that stated by you, I would ask that you approach the Government with a view to ascertaining if it Is prepared to move the substation on the conditions that £2,250 is contributed. The removal of the substation would be of great benefit to the future to the town. To erect the new sub-station on the present site would result to the permanent disfigurement of a very desirable residential area. There is little doubt that the selection of the present site was a grave mistake, and this Is the only possibility of rectifying this mistake for all time. I trust, therefore, that you will see your way to give this request your very serious consideration. “The Borough Council’s contribution, as before mentioned, Is on condition that Its license is extended to the new site.”