New Zealand Legislation: Acts

13 Fire Officers and other employees

• (1) In each district other than a State area the Fire Authority shall appoint one or more suitable persons as a Rural Fire Officer or as Rural Fire Officers. Where there are 2 or more Rural Fire Officers one shall be appointed as Principal Rural Fire Officer.

  (2) The Fire Authority for each district other than a State area may appoint or employ all such other officers and employees as it deems necessary for the purposes of this Act.

  (3) For each State area the Minister of Conservation may—

  • (a) Appoint one or more suitable persons as a Rural Fire Officer or Rural Fire Officers:

  • (b) Appoint one Rural Fire Officer as Principal Rural Fire Officer.

  (3A) Every warranted officer appointed under section 59(1) of the Conservation Act 1987 shall be a Rural Fire Officer for every State area.

  (3B) Where no Principal Rural Fire Officer has been appointed for a State area,—

  • (a) Any Rural Fire Officer appointed for that area under subsection (3)(a) of this section; and

  • (b) Any warranted officer referred to in subsection (3A) of this section,—

  shall have all the powers of a Principal Rural Fire Officer in respect of the area.

  (4) Deputies of officers and employees may be appointed under this section or under section 14 of this Act.

  (5) Any Fire Authority may in its discretion allocate to its officers, employees, and servants such responsibilities as may from time to time appear to it appropriate and necessary.

  Compare: 1955 No 44 s 13

  Subsection (3) was amended, as from 1 April 1987, by section 65(1) Conservation Act 1987 (1987 No 65) by inserting the words “of Conservation” and by substituting the words “warranted officer appointed under section 59(1) of the Conservation Act 1987” for the words “Forest Officer under the Forests Act 1949”.

  Subsection (3) was substituted, as from 2 September 1996, by section 5 Forest and Rural Fires Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 123).

  Subsections (3A) and (3B) were inserted, as from 2 September 1996, by section 5 Forest and Rural Fires Amendment Act 1996 (1996 No 123).