D.-l

Power Boards not yet Functioning.

Table XIII gives details of the date of constitution, the area, population, and rateable value of each of forty-five power districts already formed, also the amounts of the loans already authorized, and the voting on each poll taken. The total amount of the loans authorized by the thirty-nine districts which have taken their polls is £13,047,156. The population of the districts concerned is 949,094, so that the loans authorized amount to £13-75 per head of population, as compared with £13-8 last year. The unimproved valuation of the districts is £227,177,927, the loans authorized amounting to 5-75 per cent, of the unimproved rateable value of the lands pledged as security for the loans. The voting at the polls totalled 65,160 to 12,155 — i.e., a majority of 69-0 per cent. Table XIV shows the capital outlay incurred by each Board up to the end of the financial year 1930-31, the revenue and annual expenditure, and the amount of rates struck and collected. The total capital outlay by the thirty-nine Boards which have started construction is £13,637,177, a small proportion of which is on works not yet in service. The gross revenue from the sale of electricity by the thirty-nine Boards which have commenced supply was £2,223,879, of which 29-5 per cent, was received by the Auckland Power Board. The general result is a profit over the whole business of the Power Boards of £179,422 for appropriation to depreciation and reserve funds, &c. During last year four of the Boards struck a general rate, which was collected in all cases, and five of the Boards struck special rates for the security for loans, which were collected in two cases. LOCAL ELECTRIC-SUPPLY SYSTEMS. Including the Government plants, there are now (31st March, 1931) forty-one public electric-power stations in the Dominion, as compared with thirty-nine last year. One new hydro station (Alderton Co., Kerikeri), and one new oil station (Rawene) came into operation during the year. The total installed capacity (excluding standby plant) has decreased during the year by 30,075 kw., or 11-8 per cent, (from 254,038 kw. to 223,963 kw.), while the sum of the maximum loads has increased by 6,017 kw., or 3-45 per cent, (from 175,211 kw. to 181,228 kw.). The decrease in installed capacity is due to Arapuni Station being temporarily closed down. The proportion of installed plant is now as follows : — Stations. Kilowatts. Proportion per Cent. Water-power (including Diesel standby, Penrose) .. .. .. ..33 179,878 80-4 Steam-power (excluding hydro standby plants at Wellington (10,000 kw.), Invercargill (2,450 kw.), Waihi (2,500 kw.)) .. .. 3 43,787 19-6 Gas-power .. .. .. .. 2 112 Oil-power .. .. .. .. 3 186 41 223,963 100-00 The number of consumers supplied has increased from 284,235 to 300,809, an increase of 16,574, or 5-8 per cent, for the year. The total population included in the various areas of electric-power supply is 1,400,214, or 94 per cent, of the total population of the Dominion, so that the ideal of a supply being available to every home in the Dominion is well on the way to realization. The maximum demand per head of population in the areas supplied is 0-129 kw., which is nearing the allocation of 0-15 kw., or 0-2 h.p. per head of population, the basis of the design of the Government schemes. The units sold per head of population supplied were 489, as compared with 490 last year. The total length of distribution-line is 20,658 route-miles, as compared with 19,128 last year, an increase of 1,530 miles, or 8 per cent. The number of consumers per route-mile is 14-5, as compared with 14-9 last year, the decrease being due to the extra mileage of new lines erected during the year to which the full number of services are not yet connected, and to the increased proportion of country lines.

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Name. In District. In Outer Area. Excluded. North Auckland.. .. Dargaville Borough .. .. Whangarei Borough. Hikurangi T.D. K.amo|T.D. Whangarei County. Otamatea County. Hobson County. ' Hurunui.. .. .. Waipara County. : Amuri County. -3 Cheviot County. Westland* .. .. Westland County .. .. .. Kumara Borough. Hokitika Borough. Ross Borough. Waimea .. .. Motueka Borough .. .. Nelson City. Richmond Borough. Tahunanui T.D. Waimea County. Buller .. .. .. Weatport Borough. Buller County. * License delegated to Westland Power, Ltd.