The Press FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1958. Fire Station Plans

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28767, 12 December 1958, Page 12

The Press FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1958. Fire Station Plans

If the Christchurch Fire Board had been readier previously to take the public into its confidence, it might now receive more sympathy in its difficulties with the New Zealand Fire Service Council. The board has accused the council of delaying the building of the new central fire station in Kilmore street by insisting on lastminute amendments before the plans go to the Local Government Loans Board. The board saw fit to negotiate secretly about the station site and preliminary building plans. It disregarded substantial local opposition to its choice of site. It negotiated in' committee for land which had become an embarrassment to the Government; and, until too late, the public were denied the opportunity to press for more thorough investigation of alternative sites. Until very recently, the board, so far as the public could judge, had little fault to find with the support it received from the Fire Service Council. Now, when the council’s technical staff suggests improvements in the plans (as it is empowered to do), members of the board castigate the council in open meeting. During a discussion that was anything but notable for temperate speech, the most sensible advice came from Messrs M. R. Carter (who is a builder) and E. R. McGrath. The council, said Mr Carter, was “ supposed to be the expert “in the matter, and it would “be wise to discuss the plans ” again ”. Mr McGrath was more emphatic: as the council had the final say, it was “no "good for the board to butt “ its head against a brick wall” Certainly neither amicable relations nor judicious planning will be fostered by Mr N. R. Forbes’s reference to “these “ nincompoops in Wellington ’’ and other disparaging personal comments by board members. It is to be hoped that tempers will have cooled before the board’s representatives (incluffing Mr Forbes) meet

the council in Wellington on Tuesday. In a letter to the secretary

of the council (Mr >H. R. Brown), the chairman of the fire board (Mr W. R. Campbell) has complained of the “sense of frustration and suspicion” engendered by “pre- ‘ vious unfortunate episodes ” connected with plans for the new station. The board may regret now that the public have not been kept more fully informed of its administrative problems. Replying to the Christchurch criticism, the chairman of the council (Mr S. S. Dean) has said that the plans | for the new station were not! received in Wellington in time! for the Loans Board’s last meeting. Wisely, he has refused to countermand recommendations

by the council’s technical staff, which is responsible for ensuring that the plans will be wholly satisfactory. There should be no undue haste in planning buildings that will cost much more than £lOO,OOO.

More immediately disturbing than the building dispute is the claim that the Christchurch Fire Brigade is undermanned. For its first knowledge of this serious matter—at least recently —the public, apparently, must thank the Fire Brigade Union rather than the board. The board’s staff is no larger than it was in 1949. The city itself has grown since then, and new areas have been admitted to the board’s district. The board surely has an unanswerable case for employing more men; and the public will expect it to take all necessary steps to bring its staff up to an appropriate strength. The board asserts that the Fire Service Council has refused to allow an increase in staff; the chairman of the council denies it. When the board’s representatives and - the council meet on Tuesday it will be more important for them to agree on how best the city’s fire services can be effectively manned than to decide who is to blame for the present shortcomings.