Motor Racing PROPOSALS FOR MOTOR SPORTS BILL

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 12

Motor Racing PROPOSALS FOR MOTOR SPORTS BILL

Draft proposals for a motor sports bill were tabled at the annual conference of the Association of New Zealand Car Clubs in Christchurch during the weekend. The conference agreed that the proposals, which aim to have control of all car and motorcycle sports vested in the association and the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union under statutory powers, be circulated to all member clubs for perusal and opinion.

The idea of the bill arose from a suggestion by Mr B. H. Paton, of Christchurch, to the Minister of Transport (Mr Mathison) in December, 1957. So far, the Government has not given any indication of its attitude to the proposals, but the Minister, in an address to the conference, said that the proposal should be circulated to all clubs interested m car or motor-cycle sport, and that there must be a reasonable degree of unanimity on the proposals. In a report tabled at the conference. the interim secretary of the National Council of Motor Sport (Mr P. L. Lupp) said it was considered that control of events being run over various parts oi the country by organisations not affiliated or recognised by the A.N.Z.C.C. or the N.Z.A.C.U. was undesirable, in as much as public safety and other precautions were frequently inadequate at those events. Any damage done by the events in the public mind inevitably reflected upon motor sport as a whole. “It was submitted to the Minister that the present regulations for road closures were inadequate and left many legal difficulties unsolved,” said the report. “In particular, road closure regulations do not provide for charging at events, nor restriction on other than vehicular traffic, and do not authorise exceeding of speed limits.” It was also considered that the present provisions in the traffic regulations affecting rallies and trials of 12 hours’ duration or more could be revoked, as general control of these would come within the sphere of the proposed legislation. If the A.N.Z.C.C. and the N.Z.A.C.U. were to be granted the privilege of statutory recognition

for their control, safeguards should be provided in the interests of. clubs and organisations generally, including those not affiliated to either body, the report said. It was suggested that a system of registration under the bill should be provided for nonaffiliated organisations which desired to organise events, as well as affiliated clubs, and that registration be free. Scales of fees for permits and licences applicable to these organisations, although fixed by the controlling authorities, would be subject to the consent of the Minister. In the interests of all parties, provision should be made for appeals to an independent national appeals board. For the purposes of administration and co-ordination under the proposed legislation, it was suggested to the Minister that a statutory organisation be set up, to be known as the National Council of Motor Sport, said the report. It would consist of the Minister of Transport as chairman a member of Parliament to be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition, the Commissioner of Transport, and representatives of the A.N.Z.C.C. and the N.Z.A.C.U., and should make an annual report to Parliament.

Speaking on the proposed bill, Mr Lupp suggested that the conference give approval to it in broad details. Unanimity was essential “I don’t think it is fair for delegates to be asked to vote on anything more than that the proposals be circulated to clubs,” said Mr Paton. “Although this is an idea of my brain, my club for instance, has not even considered it. It is a pity that this bill has been chucked to the end of the conference.”

The chairman (Mr R. W. A. Frost): We have been trying to make room for discussion on it, but it is you who have robbed us of it.

The motion to circulate the proposals to clubs was then carried.