By Sam Sherwood of RNZ
Three people have been charged with manslaughter in relation to a fire at a Wellington boarding house that killed five of the building's 92 residents.
The charges follow a two-year investigation by police into the state of the Loafers Lodge building and whether the management and compliance of its fire safety systems contributed to the outcome.
Michael Wahrlich, Melvin Parun, Peter O'Sullivan, Kenneth Barnard and Liam Hockings died in the devastating blaze that began shortly after midnight on May 16 in 2023.
A 50-year-old man, who has name suppression, has been charged with murder and arson. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is due to stand trial in August.
"Since the tragedy a team of police have been dedicated to an investigation to establish if the state of the building and the management and compliance of its fire safety systems contributed to the fatal outcome."
The people charged were involved with the management and operation of the building and police allege they were responsible for aspects of the building fire safety, Leitch said.
Those charged are two men aged 75 and 58, and a 70-year-old woman. They will appear in the Wellington District Court today facing five charges of manslaughter.
"Police have spoken to a third man and expect to also charge him with manslaughter in the coming days."
Family hopes Liam's death not in vain
In a statement, Liam Hockings' family say they're still coming to terms with his death.
"He would have turned 53, just a few days ago. Liam was much loved - an intelligent, caring, and unforgettable character. His absence has left a huge void in our lives and in the wider Newtown community that knew and cherished him."
They said the charges were a step towards accountability, though nothing would bring Liam back.
"This tragedy has highlighted serious concerns about the safety and conditions of some accommodation, particularly for vulnerable people in our communities who are often housed in buildings like this.
"Everyone deserves a safe place to live - regardless of their circumstances - and we urge all those who own, operate, or manage buildings to take their responsibilities seriously. Buildings must be safe, compliant, well maintained. Lives literally depend on it.
"We hope that, through this process, Liam's death will not have been in vain, and that it may lead to real, lasting change that protects others in the future, so that no other family has to endure what we have."
Reminder issued
Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) wanted to take the opportunity to remind all those who own or manage a building, particularly buildings with sleeping accommodation, of their responsibility to ensure those who occupy their premises are protected from fire.
This included ensuring their obligations are met under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act by having the necessary evacuation procedures in place, and an approved evacuation scheme if you have a "relevant building" and ensuring the means of escape from fire for the building were maintained as outlined in the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Regulations 2018.
"Where applicable, ensure you understand the maintenance requirements for the specified systems outlined in your building's compliance schedule as required under the Building Act. Particularly those relating to the building emergency warning system or fire alarm."
Owners of a tenanted residential property are also reminded to ensure their fire safety obligations are met under the Residential Tenancies Act.
"The loss of life and injuries experienced during this fire were preventable, and Police would like to acknowledge the long-term impact, on those who lost loved ones, the residents who lost their friends, their home and treasured personal property, as well as the many others that have been affected by the far reaching and devastating event."
Inquiries into fire protections
The fire triggered a series of inquiries into fire protections.
A Wellington City Council audit released in June 2023 found 25 similar buildings to Loafers Lodge in the capital. Twenty-one had a current building warrant of fitness, one never had one and three did, but they were not current.
Following the fire, MBIE launched a probe into 37 buildings like Loafers Lodge (buildings that were at least three storeys tall, a boarding house and had no sprinklers). It found more than 100 problems, including smoke detectors not working and unmonitored alarm systems.
It also found the boarding houses were on average 60 years old. Most were not built originally to be accommodation and 69% had problems with safety systems.
MBIE's head of building system, delivery and assurance Simon Thomas said in May issues around building warrant of fitness inspections had been resolved as of October last year.
In addition to further guidance on building warrant of fitness compliance, an amendment to the Building Act in November 2024 increased fines and penalties for breaches, he said.
After the probe into boarding houses, the government asked MBIE to do a full review of the building code's fire safety provisions.
At the end of last year, Fire and Emergency NZ said it was unable to release a review into how it responded to the fatal fire while a criminal investigation was under way.
