Politicians missing the point

THE HOTSEAT

In 1904 P S Hay, superintending engineer of the New Zealand Public Works Department, identified the hydro-electric potential of Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau. Nature had blessed the south with these two huge lakes 100 metres above sea level and only 8km from the coast.

In 1912 the Zinc Corporation in Australia discovered a method of separating aluminium from bauxite using electricity.

From that point on for the next 50 years there were constant reports, research, investigations, planning and many failed attempts to establish an industrial plant that could use the electricity that would be generated by a Manapouri power project.

Finally, after 50 years, on February 13, 1963, our Prime Minister Keith Holyoake proudly announced that the Government would build the Manapouri Power Station and that Comalco would have the right to take up power for an aluminium smelter in Southland. Our two local MPs, Ralph Hanan and Brian Talboys, fully supported the project, as did Alan Alsweiler, secretary of the Southland Progress League.

The construction of such a major industrial complex was not

Local government was also involved when in 1968 the Southland County Council successfully applied to the Local Authorities Loans Board for a loan of up to $1.5 million for the roading, causeway and bridge to Tiwai Pt. Comalco would service the loan, and pay for the road maintenance.

There was a high degree of goodwill and co-operation by all the parties involved as political leaders in those days understood the importance of establishing a major export-based industry. The cost of building Manapouri went from the original estimate of $9m to $170m, but the government never flinched as it understood the complexities of this engineering masterpiece.

I doubt if today’s crop of politicians, on either side of the House, have ever worked on a major power project and perhaps very few of them have even bothered to visit the smelter at Tiwai Pt.

Some I’ve spoken to rather glibly reply to my concerns stating that if this government switches off the smelter then they will switch it back on again. They seem to have no concept of the complexities involved in the operation of an aluminium smelter. You can’t just flick it on and off like a light switch.

Other community leaders believe that if the smelter closes the North Island will be flooded with cheap electricity. They don’t seem to understand at least $100m will be needed to build the infrastructure to transmit the electricity from Manapouri to Benmore and that there will be considerable ‘‘leakage’’ of electricity. Consumers and taxpayers will be faced with these transmission costs.

The perception being cultivated at present is that of a greedy, ruthless, giant multinational holding our poor, innocent, caring and loving government and power company as hostages so it can pillage our electricity. If you make the effort to read excellent books such as The People and the Power by Clive Lind (former editor of The Southland Times) you get a completely opposing point of view. This was clearly a symbiotic relationship. Neither project would have been successful without the support of the other partner. The hundreds of pages from The Southland Times microfilm held in our library tell similar stories.

The Japanese, Australian and New Zealand interests worked through all the challenges involved with genuine goodwill. New Zealand, at that time, was building the Clyde Dam, Twizel and numerous other projects. We were a nation of vision and courage with a Ministry of Works that actually built up our superstructure.

Then along came ‘‘the reforms’’ of the 80s that were to make our electricity networks more ‘‘efficient’’. Yeah, right!

All that happened was no more hydro power stations were built, the price of electricity went through the roof, and a small number of people got incredibly rich. Auckland had its first ever major power blackout and a huge rift developed between the smelter and the government-owned power company.

New Zealand has never had another aluminium smelter in its history and if we give this one the flick we’ll never have another built in our future, unless we have political leaders with courage and determination and that’s highly unlikely. This is our one and only chance to produce the best aluminium in the world. For the sake of both Southland and New Zealand, let’s not blow it.