“From years of experience, I see a number of pitfalls and I need to see the answers to them before I can make an assessment about the overall [plans],” he said.
Acknowledging the substantial progress that had been made, he said the council needed to find a way to fast-track and co-ordinate the competing interests, including the consenting process and the inevitable outcry from the public.
“I’m really concerned there will be another fatality within the three years before we run this to ground,” Stoks said.
And while acknowledging lighting was very important, edge protection was even more so.
“Lights won’t solve everything, you can still fall into the harbour during the day,” he said.
Stoks said he wouldn’t want the council’s budget to be directed entirely to lighting, leaving no money for installing adequate edge protection.
“Not all safety and security risks are solved by more CCTV and upgraded lighting,” he said.
Evidence given to the inquest by council officers has detailed plans to light the waterfront’s main thoroughfare from the railway station in the north to Herd St in the south and balustrades along parts of the waterfront, including where the East By West Ferry docks and where Calkin is believed to have fallen into the harbour.
Stoks said he would like to know how and why the council decided on balustrading and how it had been received by different stakeholder groups.
He suggested edge protection may look like a barrier in some areas, a fence in another area and even furniture. He also suggested the council look at installing “second-chance barriers” which stop people falling into the water.
Sandy’s father Roger, who is questioning witnesses at the inquest, asked Stoks if he believed the council had taken all reasonable and practical steps to make the waterfront safe in the year’s leading up to his son’s death. Stoks replied “no.”
Waterfront lighting kept low
Earlier today, the inquest heard from an electrical engineer and lighting designer, Glen Wright, who said the council’s 2005 lighting strategy deliberately kept waterfront lighting low to preserve the harbour views and darkness.
He said he didn’t agree with that, referring to areas of the waterfront, including the Chaffers promenade and Clyde Quay marina, where higher lighting levels hadn’t distracted from the views.
Wright prepared a report in 2022 that found the waterfront lighting to be “ad hoc” with lights of varying age, condition, design and aesthetic. Many of the lights didn’t work or needed repair.
“Generally, the lighting levels are insufficient for safe passage, many areas feel less safe due to the gaps in lighting,” he said.
Wright’s report made 10 recommendations, which focused on addressing the immediate public safety issue. He said work the council is now undertaking – lighting the waterfront’s main thoroughfare to meet current Australia/ New Zealand standards – addressed those recommendations. In addition, the council was working towards developing and implementing a new lighting strategy.
The hearing, before Coroner Katharine Greig, will determine how the 30-year-old died, whether there are adequate and appropriate safety measures in place at the waterfront and if sufficient steps have been taken to address public safety risks.
The inquest is scheduled to finish on Friday.
Catherine Hutton is an Open Justice reporter, based in Wellington. She has worked as a journalist for 20 years, including at the Waikato Times and RNZ. Most recently she was working as a media advisor at the Ministry of Justice.
