Army trucks called in

Press, 21 December 1976, Page 1

Army trucks called in

Twenty Army trucks in two convoys were called in to boost emergency operations in the flooded Wellington area yesterday afternoon. The four-wheel-drive vehicles were from Linton Camp, near Palmerston North. The first convoy of 10 travelled to Wellington by State Highway I and the second through Wairarapa to Trentham. The Army public relations officer in Wellington, Major Bestic, said the trucks were called in to transport displaced people and to haul out stranded vehicles.

The convoy, which travelled by the coast road, made its first call at Paekakariki about 4.30 p.m., picked up WellingtonBound commuters, and took them to the Wellington railway station.

Major Bestic said the extra forces, boosted by six Army buses, also helped transport dozens of

A spokesman for the Nauruans answered ‘No conunent’ yesterday when asked whether the long negotiations over the Chateau Commodore hotels has ended. —Page 2 The Government has made its decision on the Clutha Valley dam. Its choice, Scheme *F,’ means more land and orchards flooded and has evoked bitter reaction in Central Otago. —Page 3 An early election seems likely in Israel after the sacking of three members of the coalition Cabinet —Page 8 Soliloquy, the favourite for the Sportsman Sprint at Ellerslie tomorrow, was the star triallist at Takanini yesterday. —Page 25 If the controversial transexual tennis player, Renee Richards, wants to play in the Canterbury champion-

commuters from the Wellington station to the Hutt Valley.

A Hercules aircraft arrived in the capital at 9 p.m. with a contingent of about 50 police from Auckland, Hamilton, Wanganui, and Palmerston North to help civil defence work. The Auckland contingent, headed by Inspector D. W. McConnell, is made up mainly of members of the local police task force. They will do normal police work while in Wellington and are expected to return home on Thursday if the crisis has ended by then.

An Air Force Huey helicopter was on stand-by at Auckland yesterday, but Major Bestic said it was not expected to be needed in Wellington. The Royal New Zealand Navy was not needed for rescue work, although it was also on emergency stand-by, he said.