Soldiers learn to save fuel

Press, 12 November 1981, Page 1

Soldiers learn to save fuel

PA Wellington New Zealand's soldiers are learning to fine-tune their skills at making fuel supplies stretch to cover the Army’s mechanised training exercises. An Army spokesman at Defence Headquarters, Major Michael Wicksteed, confirmed last evening that there had been a 10 per cent across-the-board cut in fuel allocations for motor transport since the Budget. Major Wicksteed declined to comment, however, on a claim made yesterday by the “Waikato Times,” quoting an unnamed Army source, that the cuts were biting so deeply into essential military business that some officers, concerned about vital organisational commitments, were resorting to using their own fuel in their own cars, and that fuel conservation had been responsible for at least one 15km “forced march” by a Waikato company of the 6th Hauraki Battalion, last week-end. However, the newspaper also quoted an Army task force unit commander. Colonel Roy Taylor, as admitting that the reduction of fuel supplies was “a problem” for the Army in carrying out its training activities. This. said Major Wicksteed, was “quite true.” The “Dominion" newspaper said last evening that while the Budget made a big injection of money into the capital accounts of the

Armed Services, this effectively ate into operating funds. This was the reason, according to sources at the time, that the Navy had to withdraw the frigate Otago from the big A.N.Z.U.S. Kangaroo 4 exercise which has just finished in Australia and had also forced the tying up

of one of the Navy's four patrol craft on a rotation basis through the squadron. The “Waikato Times” quoted Colonel Taylor as saying that the ' biggest crunch came this month — a final belt-tightening to make sure there would be sufficient fuel for annual camps.