[asia-apec 1241] APEC in Auckland - NZ Herald

[Gatt Watchdog]

Drains Off-limits to foil assassins

John Andrews

New Zealand Herald, Auckland  9 August 1999


To deter saboteurs, a special police team will seal all manhole covers on
roads where APEC motorcades travel.
Other measures to prevent disruption and assassination bids during the APEC
conference next month include:
Restrictions on the movements of inner-city residents
Bans on roadside car parking
Closing roadside mail boxes
Reorganising rubbish collection systems.

Squad members will also check kerbside drain gratings for anything amiss.

Police aim to make sure no cars are parked on the leaders' routes from
midnight on Friday, September 10, until the dignitaries head home three days
later.

Residents living beside main inner-city streets designated for APEC
leaders' motorcades are being told they need special accreditation if they
want to drive in and out of their homes at specified times.

As one police security planner explained, some people may find that once
they leave home or their business premises, they will not be allowed to
return for some time.

Streets coming under the traffic security blanket include Albert St, Mayoral
Drive, Vincent St and Greys Ave.

Mail deliveries and rubbish collections could also be disrupted.  NZ Post
staff have spent months formulating contingency plans with police and
believe delays are inevitable.

As a precaution against bombers planting explosives police will close for a
week from Tuesday 7 September, about 15 mail collection boxes on the inner
city and Auckland Airport arterial routes uswed by APEC motorcades.

Katherine Scott, the company's communications adviser said maps on each of
the sealed boxes would direct customers to alternative post sites, some
temporary.  Equipped with radio transmitters, key staff members would keep
their control centre colleagues and couriers informed of street closures and
recommend better mail delivery routes.

"We are saying that we are attempting to maintain business as normal.  We do
acknowledge there will be disruptions and delays."

The Auckland City Council will vary rubbish collection systems for affected
inner-city residents and businesses.

Russell Hill, a spokesman for the councils millennium activity coordination
group, said people using plastic collection bags would be asked not to put
their rubbish out between 6am and 11pm for the three days of APEC"

"They will have some options.
  They can either keep the rubbish on their premises or place the bags out
after 11pm and before 6am.  Collections will continue through the night.

"There will be some designated drop-off points away from secure roads."

Mr Hill said residents living west of the central business district and on
some airport routes would find collection dates for their mobile rubbish
bins changed.