PROPOSED NEW HEALTH BILL

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 550, 20 July 1920, Page 2

PROPOSED NEW HEALTH BILL

LOCAL BODIES' AUTHORITY.

The following letter has been received by the clerk of the Franklin County Council from the Minister lor Public Health (Hon. C -I Pan), and will be discussed at next mooting: General Purposes. 1 1. One of the dilliculties experienced in administering the existing legislation has been the lack of definition as to the duties and responsibilities of the local authorities and the Public Health Department, The new Bill will attempt to define clearly the functions of each. [>., The local authorities will bo given the duty of administering all | matters concerning the public health within then'- districts, and their hands will be strengthened in every way so as to secure as full a measure of local government in respect to health as possible. :i. The Public Health Department will control the following matters: -- a. Quarantine b. The purity of food and drugs. c. The co-ordination of measures for preevnting disease and special powers which may be exercised during epidemics. d. Statistical work, etc. e. The assistance and supervision of the local authorities in their administration of public health. f. The assumption >f th? functions of a local authority in regard to public health, in the case of local authorities unable to perform their duties with success. g. The exercise of mandatory (lowers where a local authority fails to exercise its powers. 4. In the existing Public Heallh

Functions of the Board of Health. Act the mandatory powers of the Department are vested in the chief health officer or the district health officer. In the new Act they will be vested in the Hoard of Health, and to that end the existing Board will be strengthened, and representatives of the local authorities will have places on the Board. The Board will - a. Act as a Court of Appeal to consider matters wherein the loca! authority and the executive oflicers of the Department fail to agree. b. Decide whether a weak local authority is capable of carrying out it's duties as a sanitary authority or whether these !'u-ne-Departmcnt for a period, or tions should be vested in the merged in those of a neighbouring local authority. c. Institute enquiries into any matter affecting public health, and advise the Minister as to the need for Regulations, or direct the Ioc:i 1 authorities as to the by-laws or sanitary works necessary for dealing with Mich matter. d. Sanction local authorities to raise loans for sanitary works without the necessity for a poll of ratepayers. e. Authorise the construction of sanitary works by local authorities outside the powe 's 'given in the Local Governing Act.

Under the present Act these [lowers are held by the executive ollicers of the Department, bui subject t< such restrictions that they cannot bt carried out effectively. Special Duties of Local Authorities'

5. Infectious Disease.- r flie Hospital Board will cease to be the iocai authority dealing with infectious disease, for reason that it is not desirable to have two classes of inspector covering the same ground as at present, and because it is not possible to discriminate as regards measures necessary for preventing infectious disease, between the duties devolving *on the Board and those retained by the local authorities. Such measures otten involve questions ol house construction or drainage, which are obviously the duty of the local authority >• a tiier than a Hospital Board. The Departmental medical officers will keep general supervision of measures necessary to prevent the infectious disease, but owing to the wide field covered by such measures the work should bf carried out by the officers of the local authority. This has been the case in Auckland for many years. Weaker local authorities by arrangement wit'i the Department can secure the servi o< of Departmental inspectors for this part of their di: ties: Hospital Boards will be 'equir ed to provide vehicles for tie removal of persons suffering i' l- oiii in fectious disease, and musi of coins, piovide for the sub.iequ ml treatment of patient-' hi hospital. o. Sanitary Inspection.- Eve'j ]<> cal authority will be required to maintain a efficient number of qualified inspectors to carry out their sanitary functions, or may by arrangement secure the services of : Departmental insnector. ['his ar-

rangement has fur some years bee: adopted in certain parts of New Xea land.

7. Nuisances.- Every local authority will be empowered to deal effectively with nuisances. Summary action against the person lesponsible for such nuisances will be made possible, or if the local authority thinks lit they may lirst serve notice re(|uirintf him to remedy the defects, and mav take action if default is made thereafter. The scope of the term "Nuisance" will be tieatly widened.

Dwellings. a. The requirements of a 11w<•!ii11y as to air space, sit.-, siructi.re water supply, awl drainage vill he defined by by-law or ivgula tion, a.id every local .minority will have lull power In en>i these requirements. b. Defects in dwelling-:, whether ilue to structural errors : >:d omissions, lack <>l" lepair, or careless administration wiil !>e subject to the following measures at the hands .if the !«». ill authorities, if the condition is such as ti> he dangerous In health: i. The issue i.f a cle.msing; order, which iI not i arried out by the person responsible, can be done al l is cost ny the loial authority. ii. The issue of a I<•>iiiu onlei. which can be enforce-'. by t hi• local authority, until the matters rendering Ihe premises to health have been remedied by Ihe responsible person. iii. The issue of a ■ienioiition | order, which can be enf* .c j eel only on the 'authority id' a Magistrate. c. For executing- any >f these 01elers the certificate of a l)e- | nareinental t.iodit al oll'icer can be obtained by the local auth- j ority, and such medii ~1 olhcer J can himself issue or obtain these j orders if the local an) I:.>ri 1 \ ; makes default. 1 d. The Beard of Health may direct ' the local authority io r.-'v th.e i cost of obtaining such orders, il ; on eniiuirv it appears that such, j local authority failed in its du- , ties in this respect. ! e. No second-In' nd material may be , used in buildings without the, 1 approval of the local authority j

from. \\ huso di.sl rict i lie miliaria! was 1: ki• n, or 1 lie consent <• I" lin local ai't ln.i'it \ in w Ivll > ri.-i il is proposed 1.. use the m> terial. I'. l"'«u* the cai i \ inu out ol' all una Mires in tVLmrd to premises, the hours of entry for inspectorw ill be v, idened. Water Stlpplics. 'n„. |[i? j io\\..j s ..f confr.il ~(• .i 1,,,-- 1 aii! l;oi 11 \ '■vcr public water si! |,! il ies will 111 wid.'lied. A dwellim; without a .-it i-factory water :1I>| >!\ can lie ii"sed !". Olle.isi-t Tr.t,! —: | i,e e\ i. I inir |lowers in tho mat ter of t ln> e> l-'ii)lislim.Mit of oil ,-a> i \tiado \\ ill ceil; inile. .lilt wider |ioWers wiil II: ui\en ei; II!'. tha r such trades .shall lie carried on in a s■.! i<factor\ manner. Tise Hosin": iloun oi' e\i.-t ■ ! I adc- ma \ In- made tie silti ject of an :< i' j•>*: I! to the Hoard of Heallll. 1 attic s.ile\aids will lie sin-ilarlv rot: ! I ol led. 11. Said! n; \\ ~| s-. 'I .j• ,■!' Section ti'- 1 of ihe l'ubic Health Ait. IiMIS. will I;,- Lli'eath widened so as j to include water supplies >in<| jilant ! I' r the collection and icinoval of r- i u 111 >i• i 1 refuse. 1:2. Katinu for Sanitary Works. Ihe powers of a local authority in .strike a rate or charge a fee fur sanitary works wiil lie freed from restrictions as iV.r as possible. The power til '.V posse-,oil liv borotl!.;hs to c!:arv c fe, s for each receptacle used ii refuse or i.ii:htsoil services will lie extended to other i>cal authorities. !: . The powers of a local authority to make In-laws will embrace e\ei\ phase of sanitarv work, and wiil include iiowet to deal with b-di;-ine-honses and houses divided into tenements, also power to control the sanitation of public buildings and to ; d 'iir.e the hours during which places i of entertainment may be open to the j public, j