Update: Yes! Waitakere City may be liable

I refrained from posting this yesterday / the night before out of respect for the Symes family and their tragically confirmed loss of Aisling.

As events unfolded during the evening, I was really angry that Mayor Bob was in thick of things leaking snippets of information to the media prior to formal notifications by the Police. Some have (possibly rightly) suggested that it is typical of the frenetic that follow such events looking to portray themselves as stalwarts of the community.

As the family of Aisling Symes prepare for her funeral, Waitakere City Council could face prosecution over her death.

This morning the boot is on the other foot. The state of the drain had been known for years and obviously little done, with the latest complaint being days ago. As I feel and am sure many others will, Waitakere City Council is potentially liable for Aislings' tragic death. As a ratepayer, I was most shocked to see the Mayor usurping the Police operations trying to portray his council in a good light. Failed utterly in my view, still I expect nothing less from an ex spin merchant.

The performance on on state run television by Bob Harvey was positively embarrassing and nauseating. When it comes to private swimming pool fencing, Waitakere has possibly the most draconian and freedom restricting laws in the country. What a pity he does not apply those same standards to his own operation. Let it not be forgotten that boring stuff like drainage and roads are the core business of any local council. What an utter hypocrite and incompetent Harvey is.

Says it all on how angry I feel about Mayor Bob. One can only wonder why the Police have not already secured the multiple complaint records on a core business failure at the council offices. Surely the council legal department is already in damage limitation mode, without the prime players in this tragedy refrain making such public statements trying to throw the blame directly onto his workers.

Update:

Have had closer look at article and one in the Herald.

A Labour Department spokesman said it had not been contacted about the case by police. "If they had any information that they want to pass on, we would be happy to consider it."

Labour Dept sitting on their arse waiting for something to happen.

One West Auckland drainlayer - who did not want to be named - told the Herald he immediately thought about the manhole cover after hearing Aisling's body had been recovered.

He said he had raised concerns about it with the Waitakere City Council a year ago, after making a closed-circuit TV inspection of the stormwater line.

"It's an old lid that should have been replaced ages ago. When we came across that we let the council know. They pop up in bad stormwater."

Contractor suggested a year ago that problem could have been fixed with new lid.