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Story: Regional economies

Maraetai hydroelectric station

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Maraetai hydroelectric station

The period of construction of dams and hydroelectric power stations along the Waikato River below Lake Taupō through the 1940s and 1950s was a major part of the regional economy. Eight stations were built; the two at Maraetai together produce the most power.

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Mighty River Power

by Duncan Cole

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How to cite this page

Malcolm McKinnon, Regional economies – Regional economies, 1920 to 1960, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/25228/maraetai-hydroelectric-station (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, published 6 April 2010.