MINISTER’S STATEMENT ‘Unfounded Opinion’ In Kaimai Report

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32383, 24 August 1970, Page 22

MINISTER’S STATEMENT ‘Unfounded Opinion’ In Kaimai Report

(New Zealand Press Association)

WHAKATANE, August 23. The Minister of Works (Mr Allen) said today he believed there were too many unfounded opinions in the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Kaimai tunnel disaster, and expressed confidence in the Ministry of Works engineers and staff.

In an interview at his home in Whakatane, where he is recuperating from his collapse through illness in Wellington in June, the Minister said that confronted with the same issues as he was before the tunnel project he would again make the same decisions based on the same advice from the same engineers.

In his first public statement on ,the Commission’s findings, Mr Allen said he had read or heard nothing to reduce his confidence in the Ministry of Works. “And I am pleased to see that the Government shares this confidence, with the decision—without any comment from me—that the Ministry of Works should proceed with the construction of the tunnel,” he said. “Touting” Hint He hinted at “touting” from private enterprise to construct the tunnel when it was announced that the project would proceed. “A deputatio representing two major contracting companies came to see me in a bid to have the work done by what is known as a major contracting group.” he said. “I reminded the deputation that a former Minister of Works, Mr Goosman, had called for private enterprise contractors for Manapouri, and New Zealand had not won the contract. “I also called tenders for several of the tunnels on the Tongariro hydro project, and the New Zealand contractors had priced the jobs far too high by comparison with bids from overseas.” He said he had made it clear to the deputation that the Ministry of Works was seeking Government approval for a tunnelling machine and if this was received the Ministry, in all probability, would be doing the job itself. New Era “The reason for this was obvious,” he said. “We were about to enter a new era of tunnel engineering, with machine tunnelling, and it

was essential that the ministry should obtain this experience for the direction of future projects.” He was also in complete agreement with recent statements by the Commissioner of Works (Mr F. R. Askin) and representatives of the ■Workers’ Union. Mr Askin had said that the findings of the Commission were not fully and soundly based on evidence submitted to it. “The findings of any commission of inquiry into a tragedy such as Kaimai could not be expected to make pleasant reading, but that was all the more reason why those findings should be seen to be impartial,” Mr Allen said. Much was stated about tunnel safety and yet no reference was made, in the findings, to the evidence of the Inspector of Mines and Quarries (Mr J. B. McAra). On June 12 Mr McAra, replying to a question about the ministry’s safety procedures in tunnel work, had described them as of “a very high standard.” Mr Allen said Mr McAra had told the Commission: “I would go further and say that

the safety standards I have found in Ministry of Works tunnels has been better than that I have found in private tunnels.” Mr Allen said recent remarks by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Watt) were nonsense. “He was speaking from three years experience as a Minister of Works, and the tenor of his remarks proved only that he had not been able to make any political capital out of the tragedy,” Mr Allen said. “When I took over the portfolio the Ministry of Works was engaged in responsibility for contracts worth $l7O million annually, and with the present development of New Zealand we are carrying out works and supervision of contracts worth $260 million to $3OO million annually. ' “And it is important to remember that we are at present engaged on more tunnelling operations than ever before in the history of New Zealand. “It is true that we are losing trained engineers to local body works, private contractors, and overseas, but this is inevitable. “In spite of suggestions made I can assure you that 1 have never at any time been asked by the Government to reduce the strength of the workforce of the Ministry of Works.” Mr Allen said he agreed with Mr Askin’s view that the Commission’s report was an astonishing document. “For some reason the Commission did not take into account the proposals for the approved construction of the Kaimai tunnel,” the Minister said. Machine Ignored “The Commission and the Labour Opposition both seem to have ignored, or have failed to take into account, that once the Government decided to purchase a tunnelling machine this reduced the distance to be done by hand tunnelling to about 800 feet from the western portal, to a point where the machine could operate. “It was recognised that this 800 feet was through heavy but very loose ground, and Mr Halliwell, a very competent engineer with wide experience in tunnelling, was engaged as consultant on his retirement from the Ministry of Works. “As Minister of Works I have always, and I still do, state that the standards and experience of the men engaged on the Kaimai tunnel left very little to be desired. Minor Problems “There were minor administrative problems, but these were mainly brought about by the difference of the project rating of the Kaimai job as opposed to a fully selfsupporting project

“When one considered disparities with the Kaimai job they should be weighed with, the achievements of the ministry, and not forgetting that six lives were lost on the Manapouri contract “This does not call for any complacency but rather a determined bid to prevent such future happenings, and it is regrettable that the findings of the Commission were not aimed in this direction, rather than the expression of too many unfounded opinions."