New Civil Defence moves discussed

Press, 22 November 1978, Page 2

New Civil Defence moves discussed

The reorganisation of Civil Defence into regions larger than existing local authorities and whether this was the first step towards localbody amalgamation was an issue which gained attention at a conference of South Island Civil Defence controllers at Lincoln College yesterday. The two-day conference was called to “rethink” the concept of Civil Defence. Delegates, including representatives of most local bodies, discussed ways to improve the handling of emergencies. Before dividing into groups to answer two questionnaires, the 60 delegates heard an address by the Director of Civil Defence ("t’or-Genera! R H F. Hol-

loway) on the advantages and disadvantages of the present system. General Holloway said that most people had no anpreciation of the role of modem Civil Defence! Too many persons tended to think of Civil Defence in terms of the local warden whose task wa to warn of impending enemy attacks during World War 11. This was not the case now. The Civil Defence Act. now 16 years old, did not cover military emergencies, only civil disasters, especialily earthquakes. However, in those 16 years. Civil Defence officials and volunteers had never had to deal with a “major” disaster. '•o'ooatp. bfjrr ->rcnt>nts

of the Haast emergency last Easter and the Otago-South-land floods last month. But General Holloway said that these did not wholly fit the pattern for which Civil Defenc' had originally been created, although they were serious emergencies. “In the past 16 years Civil Defence has never been tested to the magnitude envisaged in the Civil Defence Act, 1962,” he said. “We must look at Civil Defence in the concept of major disaster, which could happen any day.” ; General Holloway named the disastrous 1931 Napier (earthquake as an example of I' hat Civil Defence had to I be prepared for. “This sort of thing poses I the greatest danger because there is no advance warning. ? serious earthquake could kill 1000 people today, even with our building safeguards.” General Holloway said ;there was usually no lack of i volunteer help but it was of questionable value if not organiser properly. Trained teams were needed to get to a disaster area, assess the situatio.., organise rescues, and inaugurate relief measures. At present 116 Civil Defence plans were operational in New Zealand supervised by local authorities. But many of these had no emergency resources and no training.