Fire-control inquiry

Press, 19 February 1983, Page 2

Fire-control inquiry

A big North Island scrub fire has caused an investigation into ways to tighten controls on burn-offs and fire bans.

The Minister of Forests, Mr Elworthy said that he would consider possible changes after studying a report on the Waiouru fire which ’ burnt 40,000 ha and cost more than $500,000 to put out. “I am extremely concerned that a supposed control burn-off could take place when the Forest Service had extensively advertised the dangers of fire in very dry areas," he said. "There seems to me to be a breakdown in the system some-

where." The fire-control officer of the Canterbury forest conservancy, Mr Win Leef, said that any breakdown was mainly in the rural county areas where some county councils were reluctant to impose restrictions. ■ “This was certainly borne out by the Waiouru fire

.where neighbouring counties had restrictions and the county there had none at all,” he said.

Another example was last February when fires were banned, throughout Canterbury but one county council lifted its restrictions a few days later.

“I think possibly the counties are under pressure from the farmers who do not want the restrictions because they want to get rid of stubble and burn other things,” said Mr Leef. Other farmers pleaded ignorance of the law, or just did not read the restrictions advertised in the newspapers.

The North Canterbury Catchment Board also issues burn-off permits for hillcountry areas, but its operations manager, Mr B. P. Dwyer, said he did not. know of any flaws in the system. Board permits were subject to other restrictions imposed by the Forest Service or local authorities. The bv-laws had been rewritten by staff, to make it easier to enforce penalties for permit offences, but that was a separate issue.” Mr Elworthy said that the bushfires in Australia should bring home to everyone the potential for disaster which could occur in New Zealand in the present drought.