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Salient. Special Salient Issue. Careers Information Week. 1961

New Zealand Electricity Dept

page 19

New Zealand Electricity Dept.

Phenomenal Growth

To meet the demand for power in New Zealand, it will be necessary to double the capacity of the systems every ten years. For domestic purposes, New Zealanders rate among the greatest consumers of electricity in the world. The New Zealand Electricity Department, established 1as a separate entity in 1945, has grown concurrently with the demand. Since that time the capital outlay has increased from £30 million to £220 million.

Engineering and Trading

The Department, operating on a strictly commercial basis, designs and arranges for the construction of hydro-electric and other schemes, builds transmission lines for the distribution of power, and maintains and operates the completed networks. Power is supplied to electric power boards and other distributing authorities, who in turn sell it to consumers. Head Office in Wellington is a clearing house for the work of District Offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Napier, Palmerston North, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. The work of the Department is carried out largely by professional engineers, draughtsmen, technicians and tradesmen, and general administrative staff.

The control room at Hay wards Substation, Wellington, which will be the first vital North Island link with the Benmore-Cook Strait power transmission lines. The General Manager of the N.Z. Electricity Department, Mr. A. E. Davenport, accompanied by Mr. C. E. Taylor, Managing Director of A.S.E.A., speaks with Mr. H. J. Withers, Substation operator.

The control room at Hay wards Substation, Wellington, which will be the first vital North Island link with the Benmore-Cook Strait power transmission lines. The General Manager of the N.Z. Electricity Department, Mr. A. E. Davenport, accompanied by Mr. C. E. Taylor, Managing Director of A.S.E.A., speaks with Mr. H. J. Withers, Substation operator.

Engineering Graduates

Engineers are responsible for the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical equipment and for the technical operations of the Department. They include 150 graduates.

Suitable young men are assisted to attend University. Over the last five years 33 have been granted study awards for full-time engineering studies. Graduates take up employment as Assistant Engineers and are given experience in all aspects of the Department's technical work under a three-year training schedule.

Accountancy and Commerce

Qualified staff have responsibility for the Department's accounting, costing, stores and general administrative functions, and making arrangements for the finance of this huge trading business. Time off is granted for attendance at lectures, and for a final year those with good records may be offered bursaries on full pay. Training is given in all aspects of the work.

Arts and Law

Some graduates in Arts and Law are also employed on specialist work.