D.—l

102

The Boards already formed are working energetically in carrying out their functions. Twentyfour Boards —viz., Waitemata, Thames Valley, Bay of Plenty, Cambridge, Central, Franklin, Waitomo, Te Awamutu, Hutt Valley, Horowhenua, Manawatu-Oroua, Wanganui-Rangitikei, Central Hawke's Bay, Hawke's Bay, Dannevirke, Tararua, Wairarapa, Malvern, Banks Peninsula, Springs-Ellesmere, Ashburton, North Canterbury, South Canterbury, and Waitaki.—have carried out fairly complete reticulation of their areas, and are distributing power taken in bulk from the plants at Horahora, Mangahao, Waikaremoana, and Lake Coleridge. The Auckland Board has taken over the city electricpower station, and has provided large extensions of both plant and mains. It has also entered into a contract to take the whole of its power, with a minimum of 15,000 kw., from the Government when the Arapuni Station is completed, the first unit of which went into commercial operation in June, 1929. Taranaki is now giving a supply from its own generating-station at Tariki. Wairoa and Poverty Bay are taking power in bulk from the Department's station at Lake Waikaremoana, Wairoa Board supplying the Borough of Wairoa and a large portion of Wairoa County, and Poverty Bay Board supplying Gisborne and surrounding area. Six —viz., Opunake, Taranaki, Southland, Wairere, Marlborough, and Teviot—have local water-power stations in operation, and the Golden Bay Power Board is expected to be operating by September, 1929. The Westland Power Board has delegated its license to Westland Power, Ltd., for a term of years. The Grey Power Board has erected a steam station of its own, and has made arrangements for constructing a hydro station on the Arnold River near Kaimata. The Tauranga, Otago, and Otago Central Boards have arranged to purchase power in bulk from other authorities. The other four —viz., Hobson, South Taranaki, Buller, and Reefton —are making arrangements which have not yet been finalized. Table XXX gives details of the date of constitution, the area, population, and rateable value of each of forty-three power districts already formed, also the amounts of the loans already authorized and the voting of each poll taken. The total amount of the loans authorized by the thirty-eight districts which have taken their polls is £12,309,116. The population of the districts concerned is 884,676, so that the loans authorized amount to £13-9 per head of population, as compared with £12-1 last year. The unimproved valuation of the districts is £247,977,236, the loans authorized amounting to 4-98 per cent, of the unimproved rateable value of the lands pledged as security for the loans. The voting at the polls totalled 55,058 to 9,189 —i.e., a majority of 83-5 per cent. Table XXXI shows the capital expenditure incurred by each Board up to the end of the financial year 1928-29, the revenue and expenditure, and the amount of rates struck and collected. The total capital outlay by the thirty-nine Boards which have started construction is £12,009,891, and a small proportion of this is on works not yet in service. The gross revenue from the sale of electricity by the thirty-eight Boards which had commenced supply was £1,850,453, of which 32-8 per cent, was received by the Auckland Board. The general result is a profit over the whole business of the Power Boards of £100,462 for appropriation to Depreciation and Reserve Funds, &c. During last year six of the Boards struck a general rate, which was collected in three cases, and five of the Boards struck special rates for the security for loans, which were collected in two cases. Several of the Boards have been passing through a critical stage owing to the high cost and high interest rates ruling in 1921, when they started construction work, and to the fact that they have undertaken the construction of many lines without requiring the guarantees from consumers authorized by clause 7 (d) of the 1922 regulations, and since amplified in the 1927 regulations. But costs and rates of interest are now substantially lower, and other Boards have profited by such experiences, and much better results will be attained by the Power Boards generally in future as the result of the experience of these earlier districts. LOCAL ELECTRIC-SUPPLY SYSTEMS. Including the Government plants, there are now (31st March, 1929) thirty-eight public electricpower stations in the Dominion, as compared with forty-one last year. One new hydro station (Westland) came into operation, and one water-power station (Inglewood), and one gas (Opotiki) station were shut down from regular operation when bulk supply became available. Mataura, hitherto scheduled under hydro, is now included with the distributing authorities, as the power is generated by the Southland Frozen Meat Co. The total installed capacity has increased during the year by 17,099 kw., or 11-6 per cent, (from 146,360 kw. to 163,459 kw.), while the sum of the maximum loads has increased by 26,781 kw., or 22-7 per cent, (from 117,445 kw. to 144,226 kw.). The proportion of installed plant is now as follows : — Stations. Kilowatts. Proportion per Cent. Water-power .. .. .. .. ..30 135,007 82-60 Steam - power, excluding hydro stand -by plants at Wellington (10,000), Invercargill (2,450), Waihi (2,500) 3 27,324 16-70 Gas-power .. .. .. .. ..2 112 0-09 Oil-power .. .. .. .. ..3 1,016 0-61 38 163,459 100-00 The number of consumers supplied has increased from 243,795 to 266,306, an increase of 22,511, or 9-2 per cent., for the year. The total pupulation included in the various &reas of electric-power supply is 1,360,976, or 91 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.