SIGNIFICANT REPORT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 294, 6 August 1932, Page 5

SIGNIFICANT REPORT

ARAPUNI CONDEMNED BY WELL-KNOWN N.Z. ENGINEER SUPPORTED BY EVENTS There is in the possession of a ntember of the staff of the "Morning Post" a report made some time ago by an engineer of world-wide experience who was employed by one of the best-known firms of electrical contractors in New Zealand to report upon Arapuni when the project was first being considered. The report condemns the scheme in no uncompromising termq, and after expressing the opinion that the terrain is entirely unsuitahle, advises the firm to have nothing whatever to do with the proposition. The advice of the engineer tendering the report was taken and to-day bitter experience has proved that the majority of his cohclusions were entirely justified. It is not the report of any unfledged underling, nor was it given without due consideration by the man who made it. When the New Zealand Government first contemp'lated the harnessing of the Waikato River, it made known that tenders would he called for the work. A well known New Zealand firm with' visions of expansion and also of employing large numbers of New Zealanders, thought that it might be worth while going into the question of tendering, although this would have meant a reeonstruetion of the firm and the attraction of an enormous i amount of capital to finance the undertaking. However, this aspect was gone into and, sub rosa, the necessary arrangements were made to find the capital if the firm were successful in obtaining the contract. x irst it was necessary to find out the position from an enginearing point of view. Then it was that the firm called in the services of an engineer of world-wide experience, especially in hydro-electric schemes, and commissioned him to report. He did so, and such was the nature of the conclusions he drew that the firm immediately abandoned any thought at all of tendering. Experience in Sweden, South' Africa and Switzerland before this engineer came to New Zealand (where he ineidentally furnished reports on two of the biggest hydro-electric schemes in Uie Dominion), led him to the irresistible conclusion that as a sound, workable scheme, the harnessing of the Waikato River at the site decided upon by the Government experts could rtever he a success. Significant Conclusion^. Here are a few extracts irom his report: — "I consider that in view of the P'orous nature of the country and the fact that no geological survey has been made available, to put it mildly, the establishment of satisfactory foundations is very problematical. In addition, I do not think that the country is stable enough to stand the lateral or hori•zontal pressure of the large amount ! of water contemplated to be im- | prisoned in the lake which must in- ] evitably be formed above the pro- i jeeted dam." | "Such is the character of the sur- ! rounding terrain that I am of the j opinion that the .site is utterly un- j suitable and cannot recommend your firm tendering for any contract in connection with the scheme save in the supply of material; this I am led to believe will probably he imported in large measure." "Frankly, I do not like the prospects of this sqheme, either in the present site or any where within its vicinity. There seems to be a remarkable porosity in the lower strata as well as that in the upper, and this is only what can be expected in country which has obviously been built up mainly from riverdeposited debris. The very nature of the terrain is boufid to result in there being the utmost difficulty in obviating leaks, which will probably occur periodically throuhout the operations, and thes3 will prove most difficult and costly to control." "In conclusion, for the reasons II have stated, and comparing it with observations made elsewhere, I cannot recommend you to have anything to do with this scheme, which I consider cannot possibly be brought to a successful issue. I do not believe that it can ever be a success. In consequence of this report the firm was not amongst those tendering, and the .subsequent history of Arapuni has amply borne out the views of the engineer who framed the report from which the foregoing paragraphs are merely extracts. The report is a very voluminous one, crammed with' figures and comparisons, and is far fcoo technical for the average layman. The engineer in question is still in New Zealand and is living in retirament. He visited Arapuni last year and stated then that exactly what he had feared when framing his original report had come to pass. He was still convinced that Arapuni would never be a success.