Local Bodies Responsible For Civil Defence Checks

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 18

Local Bodies Responsible For Civil Defence Checks

South Island local bodies have agreed to accept responsibility for checking their civil defence schemes each year and reporting to the Regional Commissioner (Brigadier J. T. Burrows). Brigadier Burrows said that local bodies had indicated their readiness to do that by filling in a questionnaire. Points agreed to were that all local authorities check annually civil defence arrangements for their own district; that all councils receive an annual report from their civil defence committee or representative; and that the secretary of the civil de-

fence committee for the district or combined district notifies the regional commissioner that the check has been made by all councils concerned.

Brigadier Burrows said that such aspects of civil defence planning as the continued availability of key officers, and measures taken to keep the public informed on civil defence matters, required regular checking. In a letter posted to all local bodies acknowledging receipt of the questionnaires he says that the replies give convincing and encouraging support to the proposal that at least once annually each council should examine arrangements for civil defence within its boundaries. An opportunity to examine what was done in each district with a view to establishing uniform procedures would be given at the controllers' conference in November.