Petition to retain lighthouse keepers

Press, 22 July 1988, Page 11

Petition to retain lighthouse keepers

By

WILLIAM HOBBS

in Nelson

A petition calling on the Government to abandon plans to automate the manned lighthouses at Stephens Island and the Brothers Islands in Cook Strait is being circulated in the Nelson district.

A copy of the petition, which is in the name of William Charles Megennis of the Brothers Lighthouse, was made available at a meeting of the Nelson Harbour Board yesterday and was signed by most members. The board has previously written to the Secretary of Transport to protest about the automation of the Stephens Island light. Members said the functions of the lighthouse keeper in providing both a light and weather service for recreational fishing boats in Tasman Bay and Cook Strait was too important to be lost to automation.

In his petition Mr Megennis has listed six reasons for maintaining manned lighthouses at Stephens Island and the Brothers. They are the safety at sea for both commercial and recreational craft, the safety of aircraft, timely and accurate meteorological observations, assistance with search and rescue operations, assistance to the public . with information on sea conditions and deterring the poaching of unique fauna. The regional manager for the Department of Conservation, Mr lan Black, agreed the department had an interest in

seeing the lighthouse keeper remain on Stephens Island. “If they are retained they could double as sentries on the island,” he said. “Although they are not in any way trained wildlife officers they could deter any attempts to take wildlife by their presence or report activity of that sort.” Mr Black said the department would not take up the matter of manning Stephens Island light with the Ministry of Transport. "It is their business. We assume they have made a

well-thought-out decision,” he said. If the automation of the Stephens Island light went ahead next year as proposed it would have to rate fairly highly on the Department of Conservation’s priority list to place someone of their own on the island to ensure it remained manned. That did not necessarily mean the department would immediately take up where the Ministry of Transport left off. It would be on the priority list but the department might not have the necessary resources, Mr Black said.