Poll: Call for coronial reform after long wait for findings

Fyfa Dawson’s family are calling for changes to the Coroner’s Court, saying the findings six years after she died have taken far too long.

The findings had opened a “deep wound” for the family, and they want the Government to urgently review coronial processes, including the resourcing and workloads placed on coroners.

“How can a family begin to heal while waiting year after year for answers?” Fyfa’s aunt Caryn Dawson said.

• Cyclist's death largely due to flawed traffic management - coroner

“Now that the report has finally been released, it has reopened a deep wound. We are transported back to that devastating day as if it happened yesterday.”

She said a more timely process would allow for recommendations to be implemented sooner, potentially preventing similar deaths in future.

Caryn Dawson said the coroner’s findings confirmed what the family had long believed.

“She was failed by the latent flaws in the vehicle-centric design of the temporary traffic management system.

“A safe and satisfactory route for cyclists was not provided, and as a result, Fyfa lost her life.

“The impact of her loss is beyond words. First, she was let down by inadequate planning and then by a system too slow to respond. Much needs to change.”

Caryn Dawson said one of the many challenges that comes with losing a loved one to an unexpected death is the involvement of the coroner and the process that follows.

“I am not aware of any other profession or system in which it would be considered acceptable to take six years to provide answers following a fatal incident.”

A Coroners Court spokesperson said the court was very aware of the additional stress a delay can place on grieving families.

Major work has been done to reduce the historical backlog, including adding more coroners to the bench, resulting in more timely resolutions, the spokesperson said.