Civil defence co-ordinated

Press, 6 December 1979, Page 6

Civil defence co-ordinated

A regional emergency plan draft was recommended yesterday by the Canterbury United Council’s civil defence committee. Basically, the Canterbury plan will co-ordinate the nine local and combined plans already drawn up by local bodies in the region. United councillors will see that mutual aid arrangements are made, and be able to call on external aid for North Canterbury when it is needed. Mr J. H. Gray, the Town Clerk of Christchurch, and the United Council’s principal officer, was named as regional controller. His deputv will be the United Council’s executive secretary (Mr E. P. Maguire). In the controller position, : Mr Gray will be resoonsiblel for directing over-all train-1

ling and civil defence planning. I When an emergency is declared, he can take control •of the situation and activate la regional warning system. Interim United Council approval of the nine individual plans was recommended by the civil defence committee. The committee also had a preliminary discussion about costs of a future emergency radio network for the region. It would link all local headquarters. Such a system could cost about $12,000. but half of that could be met through a Ministry of Civil Defence subsidy. When a more detailed study is made of possible systems, money will be sought through United Council estimates next year.