‘Lighthouses necessary’

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 7

‘Lighthouses necessary’

PA Wellington Adequate search and rescue communication — including up-to-date weather information, could not be provided by unmanned lighthouses, the Governmentappointed Marine Advisory Committee has been told. Mr P. J. Munro of the Dunedin Marine Search and Rescue Advisory Committee said that if the more remote lighthouses were to be demanned the service should be replaced by a fullyequipped and well trained coast guard service. „ Mr Munro said though his submission was limited to the Otago area and Dunedin

police district, his committee's arguments could be applied generally. Cape Saunders lighthouse near Dunedin was demanned in 1980 and Nugget Point was due for automation this month. Taiaroa Head and nearby Katiki Point were demanned. While the committee accepted that the lighthouse equipment needed updating, the proposed demanning left a vacuum in the “eyes of the coast." Mr Munro said. Search and rescue communication and weather reporting were not part of the official duties of a lighthouse keeper, but keepers often

played a vital role in search and rescue work. Lighthouses were sited near all frequented sea routes. If lighthouses were to be automated a coast guard service should be substituted and the most suitable people to act as coast guards in the early years would be displaced keepers.

At the moment keepers could supply aircraft making searches close to shore with important weather details, including the rate of weather deterioration, not available from automated systems.

Lack of this information could cause an “unacccept-

able delay” in reaching the search area.

Even a coast guard service would mean travelling from place to place and carrying communication equipment, losing valuable time.

Records showed that the j keeper at Nugget Point light- J house had been used on five! search and rescue calls since , 1977. Should Nugget Point be' automated the situation : would be “practically unten-1 able,” Mr Munro said.

Mrs' T. K. Mansfield, for I the Ministry of Transport.; said Ministry records showed I that the Nugget Point'keeper I had onlv been used once.