Fire Protection At The Airport
The controversy about providing adeouate fire protection at Christchurch International Airport seems to have been settled by the Fire Service Council (the national authority that oversees local fire authorities), which has rejected the site at Grahams road proposed by the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board. The council’s decision overrides the preterence of the Fire Board for a site further from the airport than another available to the board. In reaching its decision (by seven votes to two) the board rejected the advice of its chief fire officer, Mr L. R Osmond, whose preference for a site near the airport was no doubt guided by his view (indicated on another occasion) that in the event of a fire at the airport his greatest worry would be in the first 10 minutes. Mr Osmond favoured a site offered by the City Council (at a peppercorn rental) three-quarters of a mile from the airport: the board preferred a site (owned by itself) at Grahams road.
some two miles and a half from the airport, because a station there would more adequately protect a substantial area of new housing. No-one would wish to place housing below the airport in a calculation of priorities; but the housing area in question is already much better safeguarded than the airport by other stations. The tangible assets at the airport are worth between £7 million and £8 million, and the intangible assets considerably more, because the airport and its facilities are vital to the operation of the internal and external airways and to New Zealand’s security and defence. It is not surprising that the Fire Service Council decided that the board was mistaken. It is to be hoped that in its further consideration of fire protection at the airport the board will accept the implications of the Fire Service Council’s decision. The board is a public authority with important oublic responsibilities and not merely an organisation concerned with the interests of insured and insurers
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19620417.2.77
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CI, Issue 29800, 17 April 1962, Page 14
Word Count
330Fire Protection At The Airport Press, Volume CI, Issue 29800, 17 April 1962, Page 14
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.