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