POWER BOARD CHARGES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 704, 2 July 1929, Page 10

POWER BOARD CHARGES

ONEHUNGA WANTS REBATE

In reply to a request by the Onehunga Borough Council for a rebate on the charges made by the Auckland Power Board, the latter body has declined to make any reduction. The council’s annual bill for current amounts to nearly £5,000 made up of street lighting and power to drive the electric pumps used in the water supply system. The letter from the power board which was read at the meeting of the borough council last evening stated that the board would not change over to water power completely, until at earliest, the end of this year. Under the present dual operation, the board would necessarily be running a certain amount of its plant uneconomically as it could not with safety entirely close down any portion of its plant until Arapuni was in complete working order and had a sufficient reserve of power to cover them in the event of trouble occurring on any portion of their plant. In consequence the costs of production were being increased and it would not be possible to give further consideration to the question of charges before March 31, 1930.

This failed to convince the council of any weakness in its case and it was decided to ask the board to receive a deputation on the question.