UNDERGROUND WIRING IN CENTRAL CITY

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28264, 30 April 1957, Page 7

UNDERGROUND WIRING IN CENTRAL CITY

. First Section To Cost

£194,550

T-nrfcrrronrd electrical wirbe started in Cathe- ■ IM, iU b e extended, ' £TXXI five years,’ , £" he central city area, e rest including consumers’ fluorescent street 7 estimated by a subat a meeting of the last evening at but the engineer-man- , the Municipal Electricity <Mr G. H. Battersby) was “only a reasonably in- ’ be from the Avon ™ e T*e »'<*t t 0 the eas ‘ • "jT nt Manchester street, and : Armagh street to Lichfield .. Xeet The second section, estii Sted to take another two years, be from Manchester street " "o Madras street and Latimer the sub-committee’s ■ recommendation, the council screed that the method of financ- . ,ns the work—by loan, from ' I revenue, or partly from each , murc e—would be considered when « the estimates were presented. In new subdivisions, optional underground reticulation will be provided in the city, and extended to county areas served by the department from March 31 of next year. It will be at the discretion of the electricity committee, and subject to a 50 per cent, contribution by the subdividers or sec-tion-holders of the difference in cost between overhead and underground reticulation, including jtreet lighting. “Our experience has indicated that the cost would be £BO a section in a new subdivision, £4O of which would be met by the ME.D. and £4O by the subdivider,” the committee said. First Work in Square The Square would be the first job. said Cr. L. G. Amos, chairman of the committee. The laying of underground cable should be begun in the holiday period immediately after Christmas. “This will mean a substantial cutting up of the streets as each street is done.” he said. “Both sides of the struts will probably have to be trenched on the footpaths at one time.” To Cr. M. A. Connelly, M.P., he said that other authorities which had the right to open up the road were being advised of the scheme so that work could possibly be coordinated. Mr Battersby said underground reticulation had been discussed with local officers of the Post and Telegraph Department, and they did not anticipate any difficulty in getting authority to put their few remaining overhead wires underground at the same time as the power cables were laid. Asked by Cr. W. P. Glue what the decision meant to the consumer. Mr Battersby said it had been quite impossible to make a reliable estimate of what would be required in each building. In some cases the cost might be enormous, in others trifling. In estimating the cost. 50 per cent, of the premises had been taken as needing £5O and the remainder at £75 to be spent inside the buildings to make them suitable to connect with the underground wiring.

As to cost, it might be a matter for a legal opinion whether the council could change from one system to another and charge the consumer what would normally be his proportion of the cost. Where the installation was new it was covered by regulations and a charge on the consumer allowed. But that was not the case where a consumer was getting a service already and would not get any more electricity or any better supply. He did not think, the position had been established in law. Central Area Cost For the first section of the central area, Cr. Amos said substations would cost £35.000, mains £66.500. services £31.500, consumers’ alterations £27,500. street lighting £24,000, and materials £lO.OOO. The decision to put the cables underground meant a recasting by the M.E.D. of its services. From linesmen it would have to have cable-jointers, and they w ould need training. Fluorescent lighting would increase the cost by £12.000. Cf Amos said, but he considered that u the job was done it should be done properly and the ext’ra s » )ent - Electricity was sun the cheapest commodity sold m New Zealand. An increase was inevitable, owever, he said. Consumers that there should be =J? er . ground wirin §. which would add to the cost, and the State Department had greed that it must increase the .2Y!? 5 ’ because of capital costs ■nd the need to build up a capita) reserve fund. I e ? ard less °* the consumers’ in♦h.T’ ‘l*’ 35 in the interests of the department to put the cables nderground. because the load u ._ d he carried overhead Umited " said Cr ’ G ’ sions in new subdivigroun<?'»nh ttmg of wirin 8 under£?~JL“ ha J ,< ’ e<l the value of a able that *51 rt was on >y reasonmake a “divider should areas J’" nbution - In the older consumers S “Ihestionable whether RM ** charged when "V worK Was done at the behest of the council itself. Denest -w! l 3 ! ,“u Be Compalsory” that a n hOUj ?- make “ compulsory ground •„ ret *eulation be underCr. A r 1 subdivisions,” said that thprL G uthrey. “My view is to the ro should he no charge charge fn° , S ,Iner ' There is no trkity - the lnsta llation of elecE' Denton said the value thing" on . Wa ® enhanced by anynu tO when wires been tnld l t Underground - He had uXXrrn lt^ Wou J d take £7.5m for St ChrH n l retic ulation throughC Q hU J Ch u- Wh y should have to wah d m ham ’ who mighl pay fnr tu f many yea rs for it. new area’ he retlcu lation for a p s >°riJ M r R - M. Macfars ‘ a 4n described the scheme V* *e“i£ ar Plan for the *ith aD thp VerSea « S Sj’ e s had set out ground ldeal underfound tbo cuiat,on - but then had u and that their tualiv unde rtakings were vir- * “owing a loss. How the

M.E.D. was to show a profit over the years he did not know. ‘‘l would sound a note of causaid Mr Macfarlane. VI think this is an ideal, but it is an ideal which people in time to come might consider should remain an ideal and not a practicable policy for the whole of Christchurch.” Cr. Amos: I think we can make sufficient out of profits. Cr. Manning: We are in the red this year. Cr. Amos: Yes, but you know very well that it was because of rationing, and that we will come out of it. Bumside Road Wiring The position in Burnside road where underground cables are to be installed has been set out by the department in a letter to residents of the road. It says that it will be necessary for houses on Burnside road and those on side streets at or near intersections to have underground service cables. The length of service cable supplied free from an underground system is 20 feet, and the balance of cable necessary to conduct the supply into a house is chargeable to the house-owner. At present, the approximate price for the service cable is 8s a foot, laid and connected. In every case where supply is given by underground cable, it is necessary that the cable terminate on a metering panel to be placed in a box built into or attached to the front wall of the house. Installation and wiring of the box will have to be paid for by the owner of the premises and any registered electrician may be employed to do the work. It is not anticipated that supply will be available from the underground mains until after the end of September. When supply is ’ available the department will be ’ instructed by the Burnside Road ; Memorial Committee to discon- ’ nect the overhead supply.

If house-owners want financial assistance to have the work carried out, the department will be prepared to do it on its usual basis for such work —that the cost be registered as a charge on the freehold property and paid off by instalments.