Turangi is key to power development

Taupo Times, Volume 19, Issue 100, 30 December 1970, Page 5

Turangi is key to power

development

A scar on a hillside overlooking Turangi township marks one of the major construction projects in the country. It is, of course, the Tongariro Power Development planned to eventually feed electrical energy mto the North Island grid. The development intercepts part of the flow of several streams, by the construction of tunnels, canals and lakes and diverts this water from one water shed into another. This water will be used in new and existing power stations. Construction is by the

Ministry of Works using the contracting industry and its own forces. . Stage 1 of the project involves diversion of part of the waters of streams which rise in the vicinity of a volcanic range in the centre of the North Island. The normal flow is west to the south, but tunnels, canals, dams and stream bed intakes will divert water to Lake Rotoaira, the new Tokaanu power station, Lake Taupo and the Waikato River. An Italian firm has the contract to construct a 10-mile tunnel in two sections — 3V2 and 6V2 miles. Camps have been established at each

end of the tunnel, also where the two sections meet, and work is proceeding at four. faces. Stage 2 diverts water from the Tongariro river into Lake Rotoaira via tunnel and canal. A dam is being constructed across the lake s natural outlet, the Poutu stream. A tunnel 20,000 ft long through Mt Tihia will take water from the lake to the penstocks of the Tokaanu power house, which, combined with the administration block, will be 390 ft long 80 ft wide and 100 ft high. The installed capacity will be 200 megawatts. Stage 3 involves the diver-

sion northwards of part of the waters of the Whangaehu and Moawhango rivers. The main flow of the Whangaehu is not being used because the water is polluted by sulphurous salts from Mt Ruapehu's crater lake. But some of its clear water tributaries are being led via an aqueduct to a man-made lake from which water will be directed north by tunnel under part of the Kaimanawa ranges to the Tongariro river. The contractor has established two camps to house workers one at the intake and the other at the outfall. They are driving the total length from two faces.

Planning attention was first focuscd on Turangi in 1964, the year Government approved the start of the Tongariro Power Development, the country 's newest and most complex hydro-electric scheme. Turangi was the site chosen t? house men working on the development and since 1964 the population has grown from 500 to over 5000. In surrounding areas the needs for a further 2500 are catered for. The town is the key to the power development and the great expanse of the Tongariro National Park. Thirty miles of new road for the development are giving motorists comfortable entry of the parts of the park which were hitherto open onlv to the hunter, climber or tramper.