By GREGG WYCHERLEY
Justice Minister Phil Goff wants urgent safety improvements at the Imax cinema complex in Auckland.
Mr Goff has taken a personal interest in the issue after 16-year-old Danial Gardner fell to his death inside the building on August 22. The Auckland teenager played for the same rugby team as his own son.
"It is patently obvious that it is a risk and that somebody has died because of that risk - that now needs to be addressed as quickly as possible."
Danial fell from a barrier which the Herald revealed yesterday was 6cm lower than its recommended minimum building code height of 1m.
Mr Goff is writing to Labour Minister Margaret Wilson and the Auckland City Council urging them to take steps to improve safety at the centre.
Auckland City Council spokesman Geoff Mears said he had been told by the Force Corporation, owners of the building, that changes would be made to the barriers but Force chairman Peter Francis could not confirm this to the Herald yesterday.
Mr Francis said a group of independent consultants was preparing a report on safety at the Imax centre and he would not comment until the report was complete.
"If it recommends that changes be made for safety then we will make them."
Mr Goff said he was surprised Force had not acted to improve safety earlier.
"Obviously, the barrier was inadequate, it didn't stop Danial falling to his death.
"The answer is obvious - improve safety. In the circumstances I would have thought that might have been an initiative taken directly by Imax."
Occupational Safety and Health raised the safety issue with Force in August, focusing on the exposed escalators.
Get it fixed, Goff tells Imax
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