KEY POINTS:
An inquest has opened into the death of a New Zealand tunneller during the building of Sydney's Cross City Tunnel.
Ronnie Shores, 43, from Waihi, was killed when a slab of sandstone fell on him in July 2004.
He was working on a ventilation tunnel, drilling support holes into the roof, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
In his opening address, Alun Hill, counsel assisting the coroner, told the inquest in Sydney that there was a contrasting opinion between the joint venture that was constructing the tunnel and its designers about what roof support was needed.
He said Mr Shores had been drilling in a random pattern contrary to the type of support anticipated in the design.
But another New Zealander, Kokiri Ronaki, who joined the project in 2003, said rocks up to a metre long and 80 centimetres thick had fallen previously.
He said he had been knocked unconscious briefly by a falling rock about six months before Mr Shores was killed. The incident was unreported.
Mr Ronaki told the inquest a decision had been made at a higher level to dispense with the safe way of cutting and bolting, because of the time it took, and to undertake a far riskier system using temporary bolting.
"We all said the quicker method sucked," Mr Ronaki said. "We were sitting ducks. But we did what we were told. The majority of the boys there, they said, 'Always look out, watch the roof. Look out'."
Mr Ronaki said he had been in his truck taking spoil to the top when he felt his truck shake. He had waited at the top, and a fellow worker had run up to him to say: "Ronnie is f-ed."
Mr Ronaki said Mr Shores was a very safe worker.
The inquest resumes today.
- NZPA
