Forbidden fire escape ‘probably saved lives’

Press, 25 August 1986, Page 1

Forbidden fire escape ‘probably saved lives’

By

JOHN HARFORD

A fire escape which had been forbidden by the Westport Borough Council probably saved the lives of the two survivors of Friday’s fatal fire at the Buller Unemployment Centre, says its former director, Mr Mike Duff. Mr Duff said yesterday that the council had refused to grant permits for fire escapes although it had said that the building was a fire risk. “We went ahead and built them anyway because they were needed,” he said.

The survivors — Messrs Asher Nachmany and John Hubert — jumped from a window on a mezzanine floor on to a concrete wall. The window had been installed to open on to a wooden fire escape.

Mr Duff said the men

probably panicked and jumped rather than used the wooden steps. Although people often slept the night at the centre they usually did not go there to sleep.

“We often work there through the night. Some people will work there then lie on one of the couches or mattresses and doze off,” said Mr Duff. The mattresses were mainly used as seating.

Hitch-hikers occasionally asked if they could bed down there rather than spend the night on the streets, he said. A handwritten note from someone threatening to kill him had been left in his letter-box about a year ago. “It said ‘We’ll kill you’ because I was Maori. People were upset that the centre was attracting Maoris from the North

Island,” said Mr Duff. The refusal to grant a permit for the fire escape was just one of the many incidents of “council harassment,” said Mr Duff. The centre had received “harsh treatment” at the hands of the council. The news media and some members of the council seemed to “have it in” for the centre, he said.

When the centre asked for a rates rebate the council had told them they were a business because they were trying to set up co-operatives. “We were warned by the Mayor that he would not have co-operatives in towh. We would have to go to the cities for cooperatives and an alternative lifestyle because we would be putting good people out of business,”

said Mr Duff.

The council had granted permission for the centre to use Lands and Survey Department land for a nursery and market garden provided it did not sell anything within the Buller district. “That killed a lot of our motivation,” said Mr Duff. The centre had received numerous firesafety and building inspections but had passed until a new building inspector arrived.

Centre members were constantly improving the building, but all completed jobs had been done with building permits, he said. Pipes had been laid for a toilet but the lack of a permit had prevented work being completed. A pot-belly stove had been denied a permit also and so was left unused, said Mr Duff.

“We replaced a sink that was broken and were told it was illegal to do that.

“When we went to get a permit for a fire escape we were told to see the council’s solicitors. The council said they would not give us a permit to change a tap washer,” said Mr Duff.

The building had been insured by State Insurance but the company, declined to renew the cover about a year ago. Mr Duff said pressure from the council had been responsible. The building was being bought by the centre. It would have been paid off in October.

It was hoped to be able to start a new unemployment centre although it would be difficult because of the lack of finance,

Further report, page 8