POWER MAY BE ' RATIONED IN SOUTH ISLAND

Grey River Argus, 15 April 1948, Page 7

POWER MAY BE ' RATIONED IN SOUTH ISLAND

CHRISTCHURCH. April 14. The council’s emergency power committee had met, and had made decisions about electricity rationing, should it become necessary this year, said Cr 1.. G. Amos, chairman of the Christchurch City Council’s electricity committee. . “One plan decided upon,” said Cr Amos, “was to confer as soon as

possible with other power supply authorities, the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, and other interested parties. We have also the idea that should rationing come we should all act in some uniform manner. That makes it all the more necessary for conferences to discuss the matter. It has been suggested that we should call a conference of all the power supply authorities in the South Island, and. decide on some plan of action that would mean the most equitable distribution of available supplies. “We are more or less ready for eventualities, but the lead must come from Wellington, and until the Wellington authorities direct us we can only prepare our own Mahs.” The assistant engineer of the State Hydro-electric Department in Christchurch (Mr E. E. James) said the level of Lake Coleridge was reoort-

ed to be 1670.65 ft., and the flow in the Waitaki River 9000 cusecs. The lake level was falling slowly. TIMARU, April 14. Until the Roxburgh Gorge scheme came into operation, the electricity position in the South Island was suet that, if the hydraulic conditions were good, rationing would be nominal but if dry weather was experienced rationing on the lines of last wintei could be expected, the manager (Mi J. M. Bishop) said at a meeting oi the South Canterbury Electric Powei Board. He was reporting on an interview with the Electricity Control; ler (Mr A. E. Davenport) at the enc of last month. As soon as there was. no watei going over the Waitaki dam, witt winter frosts in the South Island,, the supply authorities would be giver their " weekly allocations of units, hr said. This’ could be expected somt time this month, or, at the latest next month. TEKAPO SCHEME TEKAPO, April 13.

The big tunnel which will take 4000 cusecs of water from Lake Te--1 kapo to generate power at the projected Tekapo station is expected to be finished in October. Already the tunnel has been pierced 3350 feet, which is three-quarters of the total distance, and work is now being done .in laying the foundations for the power-house. . . ; The progress of the work is being j inspected by the Minister of Works 1 (Hon. R. Semple). The foundations ’ have been laid for the 20ft. steel pipe which will take the water from the surge chamber at the end of the tunnel down to the turbine. Already discussions are being held on the best method of letting the water ’ from the lake into the new tunnel. ’ A final date for the completion of 1 the whole project is indefinite, but ’ it is hoped to finish it by 1950. It will add 250,000 kilowatts to the South Island generating capacity. Some slight difficulty has been i caused by water seepage into the 1 60ft. hole which has been excavated for the power-house site, hut pumps ' are now removing the water at the ; rate of 500 gallons a minute. Men • are laying concrete in several inches ■ of water. 1 Next week lest piles are to bp driven into Lake Tekapo itself as part of the preliminary work of building the intake. ' Labour difficulties at one time bei set the job. They are now much 1 diminished and 350 men are employI ed at-Tekapo. Considerable interest is taken by the men in the plans for 1 the new power-house. ’ Concrete has been made to serve as a foundation on which to build ’ another and stronger base of steelreinforced concrete which will carry 1 the weight of the turbine and gen- ’ erator. The excavation of the site s was a big mechanised job, entailing ; weeks of work for tractors and carry- [ alls.