Work Of Committees On Mountain Safety

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31190, 14 October 1966, Page 16

Work Of Committees On Mountain Safety

Mountain-safety committees would seek to educate the public and train leaders, the interim committee of the Canterbury Mountain Safety Committee was told yesterday by the chairman of the National Mountain Safety Management Committee (Mr J Hutchinson). Mr Hutchinson is an officer of the Department of Internal Affairs.

Mr Hutchinson said that the national committee was producing a manual on policy, the function of the committee, and other details. The Internal Affairs Department was playing a co-ordinating role.

Mr J. Ede, representing the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand, said courses in mountain safety had been going on in Canterbury for several years, and Mr Hutchinson replied it was appreciated that many metropolitan areas had done much work in this field. Courses could be at three levels: club level, regional level, and national level. Equipment Depots Speaking on safety equipment, he said it was intended to establish four depots throughout New Zealand, each containing about £4OO worth of gear. This gear would be available for emergencies and for regional training courses, and would be under the control of the regional co-ordinator. He agreed that courses and talks in schools were needed, and he felt such courses and talks were part of the education of young persons. It had been suggested there could be a scheme of recreational guidance, with talks and courses being held in schools during one week of the year, in November. Persons prominent in such fields

as tramping or mountaineering could give talks, and their employers could be reimbursed for the time they were away from work. Safety Campaigners

Mr Ede suggested a mountain safety week once a year. Mr Hutchinson suggested there could possibly be a national safety week, including campaigns on water safety, industrial safety, and safety in other fields.

Mr K. L. Bartram, representing tramping clubs, said he felt campaigns should be directed at those who were likely to go into the mountains, rather than at the public in general. Other speakers disagreed. General advertising of safety was important and could do considerable good. In reply to a comment that accidents had plenty of publicity in newspaper but safety courses did not, (he chairman (Mr L. J. Coughlan) said the Christchurch newspapers were very receptive to matters of safety, including mountain safety. Mr Ede agreed with this, and referred to several articles which had been printed in “The Press.”