NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

No. 177

Public Health

Functions—The provision of advice to local authorities in matters relating to public health; the prevention, limitation, and suppression of infectious and other diseases; the promotion and carrying out of researches and investigations of matters concerning public health and the prevention or treatment of disease; the organisation and control of medical services so far as such services are paid for out of public money; the taking of all such steps as may be desirable to secure the preparation, effective carrying out, and co-ordination of measures conducive to the public health; all in the following respects:

Environmental Health

The promotion, surveillance, and evaluation of public water supplies and community water supplies; the preparation of reports for loan and subsidy applications for waterworks; the promotion of improved standards of treatment and operation of water supplies; the provision of advice and assistance to local authorities on water supplies; the investigation of complaints concerning water supplies;

The promotion, surveillance and evaluation of sewerage and of sewage disposal systems, and other methods of human waste disposal; the preparation of reports for loan and subsidy applications for sewage disposal works; the provision of advice and assistance to local authorities concerning sewerage and sewage disposal systems; the promotion of improved standards of treatment and operation of sewerage and sewage disposal systems; the investigation of complaints concerning sewerage and sewage disposal systems;

The promotion, surveillance and evaluation of solid waste collection and disposal systems; the preparation of reports for loan subsidy applications for solid waste management; the provision of advice and assistance to local authorities concerning improved standards of operation and management concerning solid waste collection and disposal; the investigation of complaints concerning solid waste collection and disposal;

The promotion, surveillance, and evaluation of hazardous waste disposal systems; the preparation of reports for loan and subsidy applications for hazardous waste management; the provision of advice and assistance to local authorities concerning hazardous waste disposal; the promotion of improved standards of operation and management concerning hazardous waste disposal; the investigation of complaints concerning hazardous waste disposal;

The surveillance and evaluation of swimming pool sanitation; the promotion of adequate standards of swimming pool sanitation;

The surveillance and evaluation of the effectiveness of pest control; the provision of advice and assistance to local authorities and harbour boards on the control of rats, vermin, and insect pests;

The periodic review of the sanitary condition of dwellings, boarding houses, hostels, motels, old people's homes, and camping grounds;

The provision of advice to local authorities on public health needs with respect to public health issues of regional planning schemes and district planning schemes;

The investigation of odour emission, and other undesirable emissions, to the atmosphere; consultation, where appropriate, with the regional air pollution control officer and the local authority concerned;

The establishment and operation of monitoring programmes to measure air pollution in the area health district or any part thereof;

The surveillance and periodic evaluation of the noise climate; the provision of advice and assistance to local authorities on environmental noise; undertaking environmental noise surveys;

The provision of advice and assistance to local authorities, Government departments, public hospitals, and private hospitals, with respect to public health matters and health protection matters, as may be required;

The provision of advice and assistance to local authorities, regional councils and united councils, with respect to public health aspects of civil defence;

The investigation of applications for the establishment of offensive trades; the investigation of any proposal for the erection or extension of any premises for the purposes of or in connection with any offensive trade; granting or refusing consent to applications for the establishment or extension of any offensive trade;

The provision of health inspection services to local authorities;

The surveillance and evaluation of crematoria; the provision of advice and assistance to local authorities concerning crematoria; the investigation of complaints concerning crematoria; ensuring compliance with the Cremation Regulations 1973;

Ensuring compliance with Part IV of the Health Act 1956, and the Health (Quarantine) Regulations 1983;

Having regular sanitation inspections made of coastal shipping vessels;

The inspection and evaluation of port sanitation, including passenger terminal facilities, cargo workers’ canteens, and all wharves and related buildings; having samples taken of the water supply at ports to enable assessments of bacteriological and chemical content of the water; making recommendations with respect to port sanitation and water quality to relevant authorities;

The inspection of the following classes of premises for the purpose of the evaluation of and, where appropriate, the reporting on public health standards at the premises, and for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Health Act 1956, and any regulations made thereunder, relevant to the said premises:

• Schools.
• Old people’s homes.
• Swimming pools.
• Hairdressers’ premises.

The inspection of, and reporting on, child care centres and residential homes for the purpose of the evaluation of the physical environmental standards, sanitary condition, and any adverse conditions;

The inspection of chartered clubs and other licensed premises for the purpose of the evaluation of health standards maintained at such clubs or premises, and reporting thereon;

Providing information as requested for the purpose of FAO and World Health Organisation food contamination monitoring programmes;

Occupational Health

Providing medical, nursing, and scientific advice about occupational health hazards and diseases to Government departments, employer organisations, employee organisations, Accident Compensation Corporation, voluntary organisations, and other relevant organisations;

Providing assistance in establishing occupational health services to relevant organisations, industry, Government departments;

Providing services for the investigation of, the reporting on, and, where possible, the improvement of environmental working conditions and the health of workers;

Providing occupational health services in priority areas.