Work starts on ski field cable laying

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 8, Issue 372, 5 February 1991, Page 1

Work starts on ski field cable laying

Work starts on laying Turoa's power cables by heavy lift helicopter this month. The chopper booked costs $4000 per hour and can lift over three tonnes, said King Country Electric Power Board manager Peter Till. He said the board had had a number of meetings with Department of Conservation staff about the project and that the board has now submitted its final proposal for laying the cable through the forest. Mr Till said minimising the environmental impact does not cost a lot "if you know in advance how you are going to go about it" and that this aspect of the project is very important Some trees and streams are the cause of the main problems to be solved, with a route planned that passes through an area of previously milled forest. The cable will run parallel to the Ohakune Mountain Road but far enough away from it not to cause a nuisance, said Mr Till. He said a system of winches would be used for most of the bush sections. The cable is to be laid mostly in 500 metre sections, which is within the limits of the heli- . copter. The commissioning date for the project is in May.