Contractor Company Convicted for Manurewa Marae House Collapse

An Auckland contracting business was ordered to pay reparation totalling $28,900 today after two men were killed and two others were seriously injured in a house collapse at Manurewa Marae in June 2009

At the Manukau District Court Judge Jonathon Moses said that if the company was in a better financial position, he would have awarded fines and reparation totalling around $200,000.

The Department of Labour laid charges against Wiremu Asphalt Contractors Limited after a house that was recently relocated to the site collapsed when it was struck by a dump truck. The victims, Marsh Peihopa and Waepeke Tuapaea, were employees of Andrews Housemovers Limited, which had been contracted by the Manurewa Marae to relocate the house to its new site. They were working under the house and suffered fatal injuries when it collapsed onto them. Another two employees of Andrews Housemovers Limited suffered injuries as a result of the accident.

Wiremu Asphalt Contractors Limited pleaded guilty to one charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure other persons were not harmed by the actions of an employee.

The Department also charged an employee of Wiremu Asphalt Contractors, Deon Williams for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure his actions did not cause harm to any other persons. He has pleaded not guilty and a defended hearing has been set down for the 29th and 30th of November at the Manukau District Court.

Because this case is still before the court, and is related to today’s sentencing, the Department is unable to provide any further detail on the Wiremu Asphalt case.

ENDS

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