Criticism Of Power Board’s Policy

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31079, 7 June 1966, Page 12

Criticism Of Power Board’s Policy

(From Our Own Reporter) TIMARU, June 6. Criticism of the Central Canterbury Electric Power Board and of its increased charges to urban consumers, was expressed by a Hornby Residents’ Association delegate at the annual conference of the New Zealand Federation of Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Associations in Timaru at the week-end.

The delegate (Mr D. Guyton), describing the board’s activities since 1962, said that until then it was the SpringsEllesmere Power Board, and there was a reasonable balance of urban and rural consumers within its area.

No great added expenditure was necessary to maintain a good service to its rural consumers or to service its growing urban areas, said Mr Guyton. •Tn 1962, an ambitious expansion programme was endorsed by the board to incorporate or take over the Banks Peninsula Power Board.

“Justification to persuade existing urban and rural consumers of the necessity for this expansion was based on the advantages which would be obtained by variation of the peak load,” he said. “The subsequent reductions in the price of bulk power purchased by the board implied that these reductions would benefit all consumers. “There have been no mutual advantages for urban consumers, and there has been no reduction in power charges, although rural consumers have had the advantage of considerably reduced charges,” said Mr Guyton.

“Urban domestic consumers are now faced with a pending increase in power bills which, as forecast by this association, will be a subsidy to rural consumers.”

Mr Guyton said that in Tasmania, where there was one authority, there was one price for electricity, and it was time the people of New Zealand thought along the same lines. “We have had a steep 12 per cent increase. Akaroa consumers had electricity charges reduced considerably and after amalgamation in 1964, Malvern received a 20 per cent decrease in power charges,” said Mr Guyton. The conference resolved to press for a uniform rate in the retail price of electricity for town and country throughout New Zealand.