UNLESS BOROUGH POWER ALLOCATION IS INCREASED NEW STATE HOUSES MAY NOT GET ANY ELECTRICITY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 8, 6 July 1949, Page 5

UNLESS BOROUGH POWER ALLOCATION IS INCREASED NEW STATE HOUSES MAY NOT GET ANY ELECTRICITY

Having pointed out that the Bay of Plenty Power Board is not in a position to increase the Borough’s quota, the Council’s letter asks for an increased allocation for that body and goes on to say:—

“The Council has for some considerable time passed the stage where an application for the supply of electricity has been granted on the grounds of necessity, urgency or hardship, and only supplies of electricity to new premises have been, granted. All applications for install lation of electrical appliances where other means of cooking or heating (however primitive) are available have not been granted. “The increase in the number of dwellings erected and the consequent increase in connected load has been considerable.

“The Government Housing Department is at present erecting 24 State houses within the Borough while steps are being taken to let contracts for a further 24 houses with other contracts to follow and unless some worthwhile relief is obtained, by way of increase in quota, the Council is considering whether it can connect such houses* with lighting only, or whether it is impossible owing to the shortage of units to connect such houses at all. “This Supply Authority is well aware that it received favourable

consideration by the Quota Committee when the current year’s al- * location was determined, but, owing to the rapid growth and development of the Borough it is contended that we have a strong case for further favourable consideration.”

The following information is submitted in support of the application.

During the war years Whakatane, as a coastal town had a complete blackout as opposed to the brownout of other towns, and as the basis for fixing the electricity quota was calculated during a period when Whakatane was adversely affected by the imposition of the blackout, it is contended that this factor should receive favourable consideration in granting an increase in the quota. The 1945/46 census showed that the increase during the intercensal period was 50.56 per cent and Whakatane Borough rankedfourth highest in the Dominion. The census figures in 1945 were 2890. A conservative estimate of today’s population is 3,500 to 3.800. Over the past five years new buildings to the value of * £349,366

have been erected in the Borough, not including State houses, of which there have been 120 built in recent years, 24 are now under contract, and another 70 are in prospect. In addition to all this, it is pointed out there are on the waiting list for power 50 applications for ranges and hot water cylinders, 14 for motors representing 100 h.p., and an additional 120 h.p. water pumping station. The letter then reviews the steps that have been taken to restrict the use of power here and enijs with an appeal for an increase in the allocation in keeping with the statistical Increase in Borough activities.

A possibility that the Whakatane Borough Council might not be able to supply new State rental houses with electricity if the present allocation is not increased is mentioned in the letter which the Council has sent to the Electricity Controller, a copy of which has been handed on to the Chamber of Commerce. The latter body, at its last general meeting, pledged its full support for any effiort to have the allocation increased, and decided to write the Controller backing up the Borough’s representations.