Guards for airfields

Press, 29 June 1985, Page 3

Guards for airfields

PA Hamilton Guards will be placed on airfields from Taupo north today to prevent disruption of the New Zealand-Aus-tralia rugby test at Eden Park, Auckland. The Civil Aviation Division’s assistant director of operation standards, Mr Emrys Evans, confirmed yesterday that the unprecedented move had been taken on police advice. Airfields were not guarded during the recent New Zealand-England tests because the perceived threat of disruption was not as great, he said. The guarding was aimed

at preventing a repetition of the incident in 1981 when anti-tour protesters flourbombed Eden Park during play, potentially endangering thousands of people, Mr Evans said. The Waikato-Springbok match was cancelled after a threat to dive-bomb the grandstand at Rugby Park, Hamilton, with a stolen plane. Mr Evans said the guard was justified under safety provisions of the Civil Aviation Regulations. Anyone trying to steal a plane to disrupt the test would be arrested. Letters had also been sent

to all aircraft organisers asking that they step up security, he said. This had been done before the 1981 test series, but obviously was not taken very seriously. The police will not watch airfields in Christchurch, although they have warned airfield and aero clubs to improve security for their aircraft this weekend.