C.D. CRITICISMS HIGHLIGHTED”

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31659, 20 April 1968, Page 36

C.D. CRITICISMS HIGHLIGHTED”

(New Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON, April 19. The fact that the Cabinet had had a long, soul-searching meeting on civil defence had highlighted the criticisms he had made over the last seven years of New Zealand’s civil defence legislation, the Mayor of Hamilton (Dr Denis Rogers) said today.

He denied accusations that Hamilton had no civil defence plan, and said that the city’s scheme would be in the hands of the commissioner of civil

defence, and the Minister, before very long. “We have refused to submit a plan until we are positive we have something which will work. Council officers are working diligently on this, and have been for some time. “Last year we had a public meeting at which all the organisations in the city we invited to take part, agreed with the basic ideas,” he said. Dr Rogers claimed the Hamilton civil defence scheme would have a much greater flexibility and effectiveness than others which followed closely the present legislation. Dr Rogers has, for instance, personally investigated how the organisation could assist in such emergencies as an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in this area, or an electricity breakdown lasting for several days or a week. “A foot-and-mouth outbreak would involve a considerable breakdown of communications. I have personally been to see bakers of bread, pasteurisers of milk and slaughterers and freezers of meat, to see how we could ensure that the populace would be fed in a major power breakdown,” he said.