A BEMBOKA meeting on post-war funding and assistance for hydro electricity for Bemboka and district was held in September, 1945, and reported in the Bega District News.
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An address was given by Cr Cochrane , chairman of the Bega Valley County Council, followed by a number of speakers.
Councillor Foley expressed appreciation of the dinner, and said the residents of Bemboka could not have treated them in a better way.
The County Council owed a debt to Bemboka for waiting so patiently for electricity.
Cr Handcock and Cr Sullivan, when he was on council had kept Bemboka's interests well to the fore, while not overlooking other parts.
On the principle that the nearest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, the ladies had put forward a good case.
Personally he had never been in favour of asking consumers for a guarantee, and there should be some other way.
The guarantee frightened people. He was the first to be asked for a guarantee.
Cr Ayres said the ladies had certainly done them well, and he was pleased to see such a large and representative gathering.
The County Council had brought electricity to some of the people and he was very proud of it.
Council had lots of difficulties and got some criticism.
First of all the plant in Bega had to be enlarged after they took it over.
Electricity was something that grew on you. Cr Foley had been one of the stalwarts of the hydro scheme.
It was their object to give current to all, but it took time and they had been hampered by finance and shortage of skilled men.
The more that come on the cheaper that current would become, and it was a fact that when a man got it he soon found out that he wanted more.
He hoped all would become connected before long.
Cr Taylor was proud of what the County Council had done and what it aimed to do.
He had been all his life on the land and never thought he would have electricity in his home.
But he had it now and realised the value of it.
The people in the country should have the same conveniences as those in the cities and town, for it was the country people who by the sweat of their brows kept the cities and towns going.
Electricity would enable them to do many things that could not be done without it, and as an instance he quoted the case of a neighbour of his who had gone in for poultry on a large scale and was hatching thousands of chickens by the use of electric heaters, and it was proving most profitable for him.
Built by Thiess Bros Pty Limited on behalf of Pacific Power, Cochrane Dam also supplied water for irrigation.