POTENTIAL POWER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 66, 23 December 1946, Page 4

POTENTIAL POWER

HARNESSING THE RANGITAIKI

PROPOSAL WARMLY ENDORSED With a view to drawing a two-fold benefit from the harnessing of the liangitaiki River for hydro-electrical purposes, and of controlling the river in order to alleviate the flood threat to the Plains, a proposal has been put forward by a prominent group of Rangitaiki settlers and has drawn the warmest approval from the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce. The scheme was outlined by Mr W. A. McCracken at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce last Thursday. The speaker said that the whole position of power supply in the Bay of Plenty was acute and that his committee suggested that the Government thoroughly investigate the potentialities of all the main rivers in this area, the Whakatane, the Rangitaiki and the Tarawera, with a view to ultimate harnessing. The settlers had been led to believe that there was vast potentialities at their back door particularly in connection with the Rangitaiki. It was imperative that no time be lost for from reliable sources it was understood that the power shortage throughout the North Island Avould continue for a long time yet to come. The Government was now considering an expensive scheme for the stop-banking of the Rangitaiki across the length of its course through the middle plains. It would be very costly but was apparently essential to remove the flood threat to Edgecumbe. If a hydro-electrical scheme were started on the Rangitaiki below Waiohou the upper waters could be regulated and the flood threat to the plains removed. Thus the two-fold purpose would be served.

Mr W. R. Boon strongly supported the speaker.

From an engineering point of view, Mr C. H. Brebner, the County Engineer, said that the Rangitaiki was the best river lending itself to easy control. If a dam were constructed at the bluff below Waiohou a large ponding area would be created on the bed of what was originally a lake. It would mean submerging a substantial area of cultivated land but this would be more than compensated for by the benefit derived. He agreed that the stopbanking of the lower Rangitaiki was going to be a ticklish undertaking and considered the harnessing scheme one which would overcome the necessity for any major job. The waters could be regulated to a certain level. He declared that some 27,000 cubic feet of water passed under the Edgecumbe bridge per second in the Rangitaiki, while further up when the river was in spate the measurement was as much as 40,000. This would indicate the enormous weight of water which was carried in the river which he considered well worthy of investigaton.

Mr W. Sullivan, M.P., stated that although the Government had already five or six major schemes for harnessing the Waikato, there was no reason why the Bay of Plenty; rivers should not also be considered, and warmly supported the plan. Mr A. J. Canning pointed out that in the early days business heads and manufacturing' concerns had to be canvassed to take the power which was then available. It was humorous to reflect upon the changed position. The Chamber decided to strongly endorse the scheme and to write to the Minister of Works urging that the potentialities of the three rivers mentioned be investigated for the purpose of determining the prospects of hydro-electric schemes.