TAUPO'S POWER SCHEME

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 187, 26 August 1955, Page 1

TAUPO'S POWER SCHEME

View Of Ratepayer's Assn. A letter from the secret ary of rhe • Taupo Ratepayers' Associat ion, Miss - A. G. Wehringo, referring t> t'.he B>r- • ough Council's recent request to Mr [ Lloyd Mandeno, consulting electrical engineer, for a report on the subject of increasing electL'ic power output at t Hatepe, was before the Council meet- | ing held on Wednesdav evening, I August 17. Two representatives oi: the Association, Messrs J. W. Birnie I and W. J. Stevens, were present. The I letter stated : "We were amazed at the recent statement made by the Councirs conI sulting engineer, Mr L. Mandeno, that the flow of water at the Hinemaimai I Stream was not sufficient to cope with I a sister generator of 1000 k.v.a. at 1 the same site as the present generaI tor and to run in conjunction with I ihe present one. His suggestion that I the Council consider building a secI ond dam and power house further I down the river is, we understand, reI; ceiving the Councirs consideration. |- "This is definitely not. in line with m the statements made by Mr MUndeno | to the public prior to the commencel ment of the scheme, when he assured I us that even at the lowest level of | the river a sister plant of the same i power as the present one could be in1 stalled and run to c apacity even at Brthe driest periods of any year." m The letter concluded by saying that I the Association would be glad to have I a report froin the Council as to what I action- they proposed to take in the Kmatter, and stated that the AssociaB tion did not have the confidence in Mr § Mandeno that they had previously Bhad.

| The Mayor, Mr J. E. Story, said 5 that there had perhaps been some misunderstanding to the extent that they had installed a 1000 k.w. unit. • following the earlier auxiliary generator. They had now 1200 consumers and nobody had expected the present rapid growtli in the town and counI try. I The Council itself had asked Mr i Mandeno for a report on alternative Imethods of power increase. It would Ihe for the Council to make a decision, 'Vhen they received Mr Mandeno's reIport, between first installing another r unit at the present site, or developing |a second site first. I Cr K. E. Young said that the sec- | ond paragraph in the Association's | letter was definitely wrong. Mr ManIdeno had always said that the second pnit at the present site would not run pmtinuously at full output. He Ithought the Association were exceedpg their duties in casting aspersions Ra Mr Mandeno, and that they should ifait until Mr Mandeno had made his Report. i Cr Vedder said that a second unit IVas under discussion and the Assom Bation had a right to voice their Ispinion. Cr Barton said he had full wonfidence in Mr Mandeno, but he did fieem to recollect Mr Mandeno sayRng in some meeting in Rickit's Hall ISiat a second unit could be put in pmilar to the present one and run ilH the year round. Mr Mandeno fioight not have intended to convey Rtliat impression, but he thought the peblic had got that impression. pCr Currie suggested that Council Bfiembers should visit the present Bower station site and possible new Rte before any decision was made. R company with Mr Mandeno. The wiyor said this could probably be ■jrranged on Mr Mandeno's riext visit. ftOn the motion of Cr K. E. Young, Rconded by Cr K. O. Lewis, the Rram Clerk was instructed to reply m the Association's letter. stating that Bp Council had the utmost confidence

in Mr Mandeno's integrity and ability to advise the Council along the best possible lines, and that Mr Mandeno had at no time stated that the second unit would work to full eapacity at all times, but had stated that there might be a period during the driest seasons when the second unit might not run to full capacity. This period would coincide with the lowest demand for power. Mr Mandeno's idea in developing a second scheme was to try and keep up with the abnormal development of Taupo Bo rough and County. He was preparing for the Council a full report and until this was received the Council was not prepared to discuss the matter further. j