CIVIL DEFENCE TESTED Some Groups ‘Not Adequate’—P.M.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31656, 17 April 1968, Page 1

CIVIL DEFENCE TESTED Some Groups ‘Not Adequate’—P.M.

(New Zealand Press Association!

WELLINGTON, April 16.

It was apparent that in some places the civil defence organisations were not adequate to meet situations such as the gales of the last few days, the Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) said today.

He said that the Minister in Charge of Civil Defence (Mr Seath) emphasised in a report to the Cabinet this morning that it would be necessary for the Government to collaborate with local bodies to get a better civil defence organisation throughout the country.

Speaking at a press conference Mr Holyoake said that Mr Seath did not at this stage have any proposals to put before the Cabinet to change the organisation.

“But I imagine this would be considered during the

next few weeks. It will only be out of such consideration that new policies will be evolved,” he said. Mr Holyoake said that Mr Seath had underlined the necessity for greater preparedness in civil defence. The Prime Minister said that his Cabinet colleagues had given rough assessments of the quite considerable extra expenditure that

would become immediately necessary in their departments as a result of the storms. Mr Holyoake said that the repair bill for roads, for example, would probably be quite high. However, the total amount needed for roads and bridges could not be estimated until the floods in the South Island had abated. He said" the Minister of Education (Mr Kinsella) had reported that the Education Department would require $200,000 to $250,000 to repair damage to school buildings caused by the wind and flood. Mr Holyoake said that other Ministers had mentioned figures approximately the same for their departments’ repair needs. The biggest repair bills would come from damage to roads, bridges, power and telephone lines and Government buildings, he said. Extra Jobs

Mr Holyoake agreed with one questioner who asked if all the repair work necessary in the wake of the disaster would provide work for some of the unemployed. Mr Holyoake said that in some areas there would be a considerable extra demand for all types of labour. Asked about aid for farmers hit by flooding, Mr Holyoake said there was provision in the annual agriculture vote for funds for this type of disaster.

For private properties existing storm damage provisions appeared to be adequate, he said.