Public to get say in tank fire inquiry

Press, 29 June 1985, Page 1

Public to get say in tank fire inquiry

Wellington reporter Members of the public will be able to have their say in the official investigation of the cause of the fire at the Mobil Oil tank farms in Lyttelton. The Minister of Labour, Mr Rodger, announced yesterday that the inspector conducting the inquiry would be at the Lyttelton Borough Council on July 4 and 5 to listen to any person who wanted to make either a written or verbal statement on the incident. Mr Rodger said that to encourage community input, he would also arrange for the inspector from the Labour Department’s Christchurch office and one from head office in Wellington to attend an evening public meeting in Lyttelton on July 3. The move followed representations by the member of Parliament for Lyttelton, Mrs Ann Hercus, Mr Rodger said.

Mrs Hercus said she was pleased that the public would now be able to participate fully in the investigation. “The chief inspector is an independent person by statute and this widened inquiry, enabling community input, will mean the report to the Minister of Labour will contain all concerns on issues raised,” she said. The investigation is being made under the direction of the Chief Inspector of Dangerous Goods who will report to Mr Rodger. A meeting in Lyttelton next week will be concerned only with the future of the Mobile storage tank that blew up earlier this week, according to an organiser. It was reported yesterday that the meeting would try to get the whole tank farm moved. The organiser also said that no windows had been broken in the blast.