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The West Coast of the Southern Alps
“Let’s make safety a habit”
Photo: Stewart Nimmo
A presentation by Mayor Tony Kokshoorn to the British
Petroleum (BP) National Conference, Auckland,13 March 2013
© March 2013

Greymouth - population 10,000
Community spirit and respect is important

An eco wonderland

Always expect the unexpected

Manage the risk
Don’t put your foot in it

Christchurch earthquakes 2010/2011
Disaster can strike at any time – be prepared

Liquefaction
Christchurch earthquakes 2010/2011

“She’ll be right” is not alright
“She’ll be right” means you are
deliberately delaying today’s
responsibilities for the hope that
tomorrow might be okay
Safety must come first
SPEAK UP – SPEAK UP – SPEAK UP

Teamwork is
essential
Good quality
health and
safety
management
prevents
disasters

Greymouth Flood 1988
The Met Service advised that up to 250 mm of rain would fall in
the region over a 36 hour period – by mid-afternoon that day,
just a few hours later, the prediction had been fulfilled

Greymouth Flood 1988

One Department
of Conservation
officer and 13
students were
killed when a
viewing
platform
collapsed into a
30 metre chasm
Cave Creek
Disaster
19 April 1995

• Nails were used to secure the platform instead of
bolts because a drill had not been taken to the
building site.
• The platform had not been
designed by a qualified
engineer.
Cave Creek Disaster 1995

The Department of
Conservation
officer and 13
students who
perished in the
Cave Creek disaster
Cave Creek Disaster
1995

Greymouth Tornado
10 March 2005

Greymouth Tornado 2005
The tornado sparked the first ever mobilisation of the
entire Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) task force
following national protocols

Grandchildren want to hear from you,
not about you

Brunner Mine Disaster 1896
Many of these miners lost their life in the explosion

182 children left fatherless
Brunner Mine Disaster 1896

Just “one bright
spark” can do an
awful lot of
damage
Dobson Disaster 1926
9 dead in methane
explosion

5 people killed
Kaye & Party Mine 1940

The last rites
Kaye & Party Mine
1940

Greymouth florists had to buy out the entire
Christchurch flower market for two days to meet
the huge orders for wreaths
Strongman Mine Disaster 1967

The Paparoa Ranges
A mountain of coking coal used by steel mills

Pike River Mine Disaster 2010
• For some reason, on 19 November 2010 Pike
River Mine exploded.
• After a second explosion five days later, all
hope was dashed.
• 29 miners and contractors were killed.

Pike River
Mine
Disaster
2010

Families at the Red Cross Centre
waiting for news
Pike River Mine Disaster
2010

Pike River Mine Disaster 2010

The families regularly visited their
men at the mine
Pike River Mine Disaster 2010

• Identify leadership needed and roles; then
work together using individual skills.
• It is instinctive of humans to help in
disasters. Harness the community spirit;
everyone wants to help.
Pike River Mine Disaster 2010

Our darkest hour
After the second explosion in which “all hope
was lost”

A ticking time bomb
Pike River Mine Disaster 2010

• Advances in science and technology
cannot cure complacency.
• Attention to detail will.
• So will good health & workplace
safety.

Pike River Mine Disaster 2010

“The community support is high.
Our community will pull together.”
We supported the families, we matched
them stride for stride.

Up to 11,000 people attended the
remembrance service for the Pike 29

Visiting the memorial tables of the Pike 29

Our Pike 29

A safety culture is teamwork:
“The coach, captain, players and
orange boy”
• Never leave a safety issue for someone
else to act upon or action.
• Always file incident reports.
• Always make routine checks.
• Never take anything for granted.
• The number 8 wire approach is over.
• It takes “one bright spark” to do the
damage.