‘Consultants Not Criticised’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 12

‘Consultants Not Criticised’

Concern at remarks made by the Geraldine County Engineer (Mr K. H. P. Beck) at the annual conference of the Institute of County Engineers at Dunedin was expressed by Mr H. G. Royds, speaking for Christchurch members of the consultants’ division of the Institution of Engineers.

“Mr Beck, as reported, appears to have linked consulting engineers with a statement that a survey by the National Roads Board has shown that money in the North Canterbury area was not being spent to best advantage,” said Mr Royds. “The North Canterbury area usually means north of the Ashburton river. The National Roads Board’s recent survey in that area was concerned, among other things, with the amalgamation of some small counties in the interests of efficient administration and certainly did not imply any criticism of the services of consulting engineers.

“The function of consulting engineers in local body work, whether or not a resident engineer is employed, is to carry out design and supervision of specific works such as bridges, highways, water supply, sewerage and so on," said Mr Royds: “They have specialised technical staff competent in these fields and are not usually concerned with the day-to-day routine operations of a local body or the signing

of National Roads Board certificates for anything but the specific work for which they are responsible. “It is difficult to comment on the motion asking the Institution of Engineers to promote legislation to protect the public by defining the place of civil engineers in local government without having heard the discussion. The Engineers Registration Act has the same object,” Mr Royds said.