Road block to tracing family history

Tracking down one's ancestry can unveil tales of love and long-lost reunions but it could soon become difficult.
The Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Bill, if accepted, will mean organisations such as genealogists and the Salvation Army Family Tracing Service will be met with road blocks, says Robyn Williams, Howick chairwoman of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists.
"It will affect people doing research when they're putting their family together.
"Genealogy is a long process and you need clues to find more information," she says.
The bill has been proposed to help reduce identity fraud and provide greater security and privacy for New Zealanders.
It means most people wanting information other than their immediate family will need written permission from the person they want documentation on.
"If I did not have access to a relative's death certificate I may not have located a newspaper article about his death. People track family members for health reasons too," Ms Williams says.
Salvation Army Family Tracing Service director Major Bronwyn McFarlane says providing help to people trying to get in touch with missing relatives will be hindered.
"In one example, a dying father in the United Kingdom had not been in contact with his New Zealand based son for 16 years," she says.
"In his final days of life, he wanted to know if his son was alive and well. In locating the son, the crucial piece of information was a marriage registration document. Under the bill, however, we would not have been permitted access to the document."
The bill was introduced to Parliament in February and public submissions closed in May.
By REBECCA PAPPRILL - Eastern Courier Wednesday, 15 August 2007