Regional Authority Proposal Criticised

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29908, 23 August 1962, Page 10

Regional Authority Proposal Criticised

The regional authority plan of the Local Government Commission received unfavourable comment at the North Canterbury Hospital Board meeting yesterday. The plan provides for the responsibilities of the board and other ad hoc bodies in North and central Canterbury to be taken over by such an authority. “I can’t imagine that this plan would assist us or assist the hospital service or assist the country.” said the secretary (Mr J. G. Laurenson). “The end result would probably be that this board would, in effect, be replaced by a committee of the regional authority. We would have a new barrier to surmount between us and the Health Department before we could get anything done.” The hospital service was a national one, and the national link was invaluable in such a specialised field, said Mr Laurenson. If administration were to be carried out through regional authorities with multiple responsibilities. the close coordination between the various hospital authorities was likely to be destroyed. He had attended the recent meeting called to discuss the proposal, and two board

members had been there in other capacities. He hoped nothing further would be heard of it, but if it were proceeded with the board would have to make representations. The Government would have to look very carefully at what was involved. “From comments I have heard in other quarters, the scheme may break its back before any official approach is made to bodies such as this, but the slight cloud on the horizon has been noted.” said the chairman (Professor A. J. Danks). It seemed to involve a return to the provincial government system of the 1870’s.

Mr J. B. Hay commented that the chairman and other members of such an authority would have to be employed full-time and paid large salaries, whereas the service given by board members was virtually free except for expenses. Mr H. O Hills said that for the hospital service, the proposed system was "just impossible.”