H—l2

CONSTITUTION OF NEW DISTRICTS 12. Section 18 (4) of the Act provides that, subject to the certificate of the Council that the appropriate standards have been complied with, and to the provisions of the Local Government Commission Act, 1946 (and certain other provisions in the case of districts within fifteen miles of the Chief Post-office in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin), new districts may be declared by the Governor-General by Order in Council. Section 10 (1) of the Act, which provides for the determining by the Council of standards for this purpose, reads as follows : The Council may from time to time determine standards of fire service organization and reticulated fire-fighting water-supply which shall be the minimum requirement for the formation of a, united urban fire district or an urban fire district; and may also determine lesser standards of fireprotection service, whether or not involving a reticulated water-supply, which shall be the minimum requirement for the formation of a secondary urban fire district. 13. It is therefore necessary in the case of fire districts that before constitution of the district the complete service shall be fanctioning. It will not be possible for the Council to set final standards until the Chief Officer has been appointed and a decision has been made as to the minimum requirements in a fire district both for the purposes of this section and of section 32. In the meantime the Council has followed the procedure when the Act was being prepared, and has adopted for the purposes of section 10 the standard both of brigade organization and reticulated water-supply laid down by the Council of Fire and Accident Underwriters' Associations as the minimum requirements for classification under tariff."' E." 14. Local authorities no longer have power to establish a fire brigade except in the capacity of an Urban Fire Authority. The constitution of a secondary fire district will in future be the first step in the establishment of a local fire service. The standard to be laid down by the Council for this constitution must therefore have regard to proven intention rather than achievement. The Council has accordingly set the following standard for the constitution of a secondary fire district: — (1) That a group of suitable persons is organized and has agreed to function as a volunteer fire brigade under section 42 of the Act and that the Council is satisfied that the requirements of section 41 of the Act can be complied with. (2) That the local authority is prepared to authorize the establishment and maintenance of a volunteer fire brigade under section 42 of the Act. (3) That arrangements have been made for the assembly of brigade members in case of fire and for the utilization by them of any water-supply or first-aid fire-fighting equipment available. 15. During the year applications were made by local authorities as set out below for constitution of new districts. The Council certified in each case that the necessary standards had been complied with, and on the recommendation of the Local Government Commission the districts were duly constituted by Order in Council: —

5

Local Authority. Area of District. Type of District. Runanga Borough Council Rawene Town Board Bulls Town Board Murchison County Council Waitemata County Council Amuri County Council Maniototo County Council Runanga Borough Rawene Town District Bulls Town District Township of Murchison Township of Titirangi Township of Culverden Township of Ranfurly Fire district. Secondary fire district.