COUNCIL FEARS POWER SHORTAGE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18451, 30 April 1928, Page 6

COUNCIL FEARS POWER SHORTAGE.

SPEEDING UP OF THE WAITAKI SCHEME URGED. What will be the position of electrical supply and demand in Christchurch in 1930? Councillor D. G. Sullivan, M.P., told a “ Star ” reporter last night that the City Council estimated that by 1930 the present electrical supply, from Lake Coleridge, would be taxed to its very utmost in Christchurch. Mr Sul livan has just returned from Oamaru, where a conference of representatives from the interested local bodies met in reference to the proposed hydroelectric scheme at the Waitaki. “It is most unlikely that the Waitaki scheme will be completed by 1930, said Mr Sullivan, “ hence the anxiety of the Christchurch City Council as to the progress made in the Waitaki scheme.” The object of the conference was to* ascertain the progress that was being made by the Government in the matter of the proposed dam and powerhouse at the Waitaki River. The Christchurch City Council was represented as follows:—The Mayor, Mr J. K. Archer, Councillor Sharpe, chairman of the Electricity Committee, Mr Hitchcock, manager of the electrical department, Councillor Beaven of the Electricity Committee, and Councillor D. G. Sullivan, M.P. At Oamaru the party was met by Mr Forrester, chairman of the Waitaki Power Board, Mr Dalmer, the board’s engineer, Mr Crawshaw, Mayor ol Oamaru, Mr E. P. Lee, member for the district, Mr John Bitchener, M.P. for Waitaki, and others. The party was entertained at dinner \at the Queen's Hotel by the Waitaki Power Board, and after that the conference was held. At the conference speeches were made by Mr Archer, Mr Sullivan, Mr Lee, Mr Bitchener, Mr Sharpe and others. “ The conference was justified, and was very profitable,” Mr Sullivan gave as his opinion. “It gave us reasonably and- accurate information on the sub-*' ject. An understanding was reached between the local bodies interested, the Christchurch City Council, and the South Canterbury and North Otago authorities. That was that the parties should maintain an organisation to watch the progress made at the work in connection with the Waitaki scheme, and, in the event of insufficient progress being made, the local bodies interested should communicate with their representatives in Parliament, who in their turn should bring pressure to bear upon the Government. Mr Lee is to act as convener in the House.” SITE VISITED. On Saturday, the morning following the conference, the party were driven to the site of the proposed dam and powerhouse, fifty miles from Oamaru. “ There are three prospective sites,” said Mr Sullivan, “ and at two of these work to ascertain the nature of the riverbed is completed. At the third the work is still in progress. The last site is the highest, and investigation there is expected to be finished in a few weeks, and t*he report on the three sites will then be handed to Mr Furkert, who will consider it and in his turn report to the Minister.” “ The object to be attained,” said Mr guliivan, “is_ a sufficiently firm foundation for tKe~"powerTibuse arid the dam. The nature of the rock under the river and the surrounding country has to be tested as to sufficient stability to warrant the construction of a dam. I assume that, should the investigation of the highest site prove that the rock foundation is stable enough for a dam, the highest site will be found most suitable for the purpose, and the dam and power station be built there. That would make the water available for a power station lower down at some future period.” COUNCIL ANXIOUS. “ In view of the fact that the Coleridge supply will be taxed to the fullest extent in two years’ time,” said Mr Sullivan, “ the Christchurch ,City Council are anxious that the work on the Waitaki scheme should be pushed through as rapidly as is possible. From that point of view, the conference at Oamaru was very satisfactory.”

CONFERENCE HELD AT OAMARU. (Special to the “ Star.”) OAMARU, April 29. The Christchurch City Council delegation to inspect the Waitaki power sites arrived ~in Oamaru on Friday evening. The party consisted of the Mayor (the Rev J. K. Archer) and Councillors Sullivan, Sharpe and Heaven, Mr E. Hitchcock and Mr J. Bitchener (M.P. for Waitaki). The visitors were entertained to dinner in the evening, following which an informal discussion on the projected power scheme took place. Those present .comprised Mr E. P. Lee, M.P., Mr Franik Crawshaw (Mayor of Oamaru), Messrs C. K. Kent, (town clerk), J. M’Laren (county clerk), R. Mahan, J. M. Forrester and J. M’Diarmid (members of the Waitaki, Power Board), W. Atkinson (secretary) and S. Dalmer (engineer of the Waitaki Power Board). , Mr Archer expressed, the visitors thanks for the warmth of their welcome, and said he hoped they would be successful in urging the Government to commence the earnest development of the Waitaki project immediately. Messrs Sullivan and Bitchener spoke in similar strain and were of opinion that work should be pushed forward without delay. Councillors Sharpe and Beaven also voiced the need of proper provision for power before a shortage was experienced. . Mr Hitchcock dealt with the technical side and said he hoped the delegation would gain the required information from their inspection. The urgent need for all members of the House to use their united influence was emphasised by Mr Dalmer, and it was decided that all Canterbury and North Otago members should combine towards bringing the scheme to fruition at the earliest possible date. Mr E. P. Lee was named as chairman or convener of the committee.

The Christchurch party visited the proposed dam site on the Waitaki River above Kurow on Saturday morning. They were accompanied by representatives of the Oamaru Borough Council, Waitaki County Council and Waitaki Electric Power Board. The party were met by Messrs Anderson and M’Ennis, who conducted them over the scene of the Public Works Department’s operations, and explained the nature of the work-in progress. It was ascertained that the lower site has definitely been abandoned, and it was evident from the nature of the work being carried out on the other two sites that very careful and extensive investigations are being made to ascertain the nature and formation of the rock foundation. Progress has been delayed through the casing being washed away last week, but there are only four more holes to sink in the river,

and the work should be completed in nine or ten days. It would appear that the main question to be solved is whether the dam should be erected at the upper or middle site. A great point in favour of the former is that a lower dam could be built at a later date, thus utilising the water power twice, whereas if the dam were placed at the lower site the upper site would be flooded to a depth of twenty feet, thus preventing or rendering more difficult the extension of the scheme. The visitors were well satisfied with the information received as a result of the visit, and expressed approval of the scheme. Subsequently were entertained at luncheon at Kurow, where Mr Archer returned thanks for the hospitality extended, and Mr Anderson assured tliern that they would not have to wait long before preliminary reports were available.