Axe may fall on barracks at Addington

Press, 3 June 1989, Page 5

Axe may fall on barracks at Addington

By DAVE WILSON A decision to close the Addington Army barracks — regarded as redundant by the Quigley defence review — could be made within weeks. The Army has already decided to close its Hopu Hopu camp at Ngaruawahia and the Chief of General Staff, Major-General Bruce Meldrum, says Addington is among the bases next most likely to close. But he promised in Christchurch yesterday that the Burnham-based Ready Reaction Force, and the Army in the South Island, would escape the worst of a reduction in personnel caused by Defence spending cuts. “We won’t be touching the Ready Reaction Force. They will be the least affected, but there will be effects on some smaller elements in the Christchurch area. “The over-all reduction in Army personnel is not yet known but if the total was 500 to 600 nationwide, possibly less than 200 of those would be from the South Island. That is mainly because the personnel in the south represent a greater percentage of the R.R.F.” As well as cost savings required by the Government last year, the Army is again cutting back because of the cap on Defence spending. “There were significant reductions in our activities last year, all of them to save a fifth of what we will have to save this year. This time there will be a significant effect on our activities,” General Meldrum said. He said he would fight to spare the Territorial Force from further cuts in its training days. Last year the T.F. suffered a 5 per cent reduction in training time. The Army is hoping to find some of its savings in organisational restructuring and a rationalisation of bases, as advocated in the Quigley defence resources management review. All three branches of the forces are undertaking studies of their property holdings and needs, with a study deadline of July. Addington barracks, whose buildings are officially described as being in poor condition, is recommended for early closing in the Quigley review.