H—37

A continuous review of staffing requirements is necessary in order to ensure that the disposition of personnel is balanced with the variations in traffic handled, but the fact remains that where services are spread over six days per week, with sometimes early and late flying, the five-day forty-hour week cannot meet the position without either large overtime payments or, on the other hand, the provision of a greater number of individuals. The question of staffing of outstations is rendered more difficult by the lack of housing accommodation for personnel. In many localities staff require to be transported some distance to and from their place of work, with the result that transportation costs are considerable. A long-term scheme of housing, bearing in mind the permanence of each particular unit and the family responsibilities of the staff concerned, has been embarked upon with the assistance of the Housing Division of the Works Department and of the State Advances Corporation. A committee at Head Office of Air Department co-ordinates the various requirements of the Civil Aviation Branch and of the Meteorological Office. 2. Organization Considerable progress has been made in the reorganization of the Branch during the year under review, and at the date of submitting this report the Branch comprised— The Directorate, which includes— The Director of Civil Aviation. The Deputy Director of Civil Aviation. The Overseas Liaison and Information Section. The Economic Research and Planning Section. The Airways Division, which includes— The Telecommunications Section. The Airports Section. The Air Traffic Control Section. The Operations and Air Navigation Division, which includes— The Operations Section. The Air Navigation Section. The Airworthiness Division. The Administration Section. The functions of the three Divisions are dealt with in later parts of this report. A degree of delegation in administrative and technical matters has been accorded to the Divisions and all normal routine work is dealt with at this level without direct oversight or supervision by the Directorate. The Overseas Liaison and Information Section is responsible for all liaison with overseas administrations and Commonwealth and international organizations, for the provision of information for civil aviation and other publications, for general civil air intelligence services, and for certain policy planning matters. The section is also concerned with studying ICAO requirements and acting in an advisory capacity to all sections on the interpretation of ICAO standards and procedures. The Economic Research and Planning Section was established to advise the Directorate and other sections on the economic and financial aspects of civil aviation generally and air transport operations in particular. The section is responsible also for the consideration of air transport agreements between New Zealand and other countries and of questions relating to private and public air law. The Administration Section, in addition to performing all clerical functions for the Civil Aviation Branch, works in close conjunction with other branches of the Air Department, as, for example, the Accounts Branch, Central Registry, Staff Branch, Library and Stationery Branch. One of the important responsibilities of the Administration Section is the circulation of the considerable volume of vital and useful information constantly being made available

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