By Mary Afemata of Local Democracy Reporting
Auckland Council’s event safety protocols have come under scrutiny as the widow of Fa’anānā Efeso Collins pleads for an inquiry into her husband’s death.
Green Party MP Fa’anānā died in February last year after collapsing at a charity event in central Auckland.
During a case management conference at Auckland’s Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, his widow Vasa Fia Collins urged Coroner Janet Anderson to consider holding a full inquest.
“Our lives have changed forever. I realise that I may never feel full closure over Efeso’s death, but an inquest to address our unanswered questions will move me and my family closer to the closure that we deserve,” she said.
The event, organised by ChildFund, involved carrying heavy water buckets over a distance of 1 to 1.4 kilometres.
Auckland Council approved the event.
Dr Max Harris, representing the Collins family, raised concerns about the event’s safety and lack of adequate health measures.
He questioned whether Auckland Council had ensured proper precautions to protect participants.
Harris noted that no medical assessments or health checks were conducted before the event.
“The question here is whether more could have been done to prevent his death and whether more could be done in the future to prevent deaths occurring in similar circumstances. And it’s those inquiries to which those seven outstanding questions and concerns are directed,” Harris says.
Harris referenced Auckland Council’s event guidelines, which stress the importance of trained staff, tailored safety plans, and professional medical services on-site.
However, he noted that the event’s health and safety plan was generic rather than specifically tailored to the risks of this event.
Local Democracy Reporting approached Auckland Council for comment on their role in approving the event and whether any health and safety processes had changed since Fa’anānā’s death.
Glynn Leggat, Auckland Council’s Head of Events, told LDR a health and safety plan was submitted for the charity event as part of the application.
“As part of Auckland Council’s role in facilitating events in public spaces, we require every permit applicant to provide evidence of adequate health and safety planning.”
Event organisers are responsible for considering the risks associated with their events and ensuring proper controls are in place to manage them, she said.
“As this matter is under active coronial inquiry, it is not appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Speaking at the conference on Wednesday, Vasa said she remained unaware of the full circumstances surrounding her husband’s death, which she first learned about through media reports – a revelation she condemns as disrespectful and unethical.
“Whatever the truth is, I deserve to know. My children will one day ask what happened to their father. They deserve to know.
“Our Pacific community, here and around the world, has honoured the vātapuia by respectfully waiting for me to speak and confirm Efeso’s cause of death. They, too, deserve the truth,” Vasa says.
Vasa Fia Collins and her family are demanding better health and safety measures to prevent future tragedies.
“Until my last breath, I will mourn Efeso. Until my last breath, I will not stop my pursuit of the truth for my children and justice for Efeso,” she says.
Concerns were also raised over the emergency response. According to submissions, a defibrillator was sourced from Commercial Bay, but conflicting accounts exist over exactly where it came from and how long it took to arrive.
Coroner Janet Anderson said she had not previously been aware of video footage and would need to review all further evidence, including eyewitness accounts and independent medical advice, before deciding whether to proceed with an inquest.
ChildFund’s lawyer, Tania Goatley, said the organisation had followed standard protocols and hired an experienced event management company. She said multiple people were sent to locate nearby defibrillators, and that a senior medical professional happened to be on site and assisted.
All parties have until April 30 to submit further information for Coroner Janet Anderson to consider before she makes a decision on whether to proceed with an inquest.
