“The filling of this couch … is so flammable that this family only had one or two minutes to get out of the house,” Leask said. “Before this material was introduced to New Zealand furniture, people had 30 minutes. That has been reduced by about 90%.”
Lizzy’s mother thought her daughter was following her out of their Burnham home when it caught fire in May 2024. But the 16-year-old never made it outside. She died upstairs, likely after returning to save her pets.
Leask said coroners have been calling for change for years, but Governments have repeatedly failed to act.
“In 2010 there was a man who died … Coroner Tim Scott back then called for regulation, and no action was taken. In 2019, a policy statement was put together … but again, it fell short of regulating the industry.”
In her report on Lizzy’s death, Coroner Mary-Anne Borrowdale said the lack of action from the Ministry of Business, Employment and Innovation (MBIE) has been “deplorable”.
“MBIE consumer policy should be expected to anticipate risks to consumers, not merely to sit and wait for a sufficient number of deaths before it will act.”
Many household appliances, like hairdryers and ovens, carry mandatory warnings of risks involved in their use. While guidelines exist, there is no mandate to ensure consumers are clearly warned of the fire risk involved with foam-filled furniture.
“Really, the only way to get manufacturers to follow the rules is by having rules,” Leask said. “It’s like saying it is not a good idea to drive after you’ve been drinking beer, rather than saying it is illegal.”
For Lizzy’s family, the lack of clear warnings has had devastating consequences. The teenager’s mother told Leask she never would have bought the sofa if she had known its risks.
The coroner has now urged the Government to urgently regulate foam-filled furniture, either by banning it, requiring safer alternatives, or at the very least forcing retailers to clearly warn consumers.
Until then, millions of New Zealanders are likely sitting on a hazard they may not even know exists.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
- Why foam-filled furniture carries fire risk
- Why manufacturers continue to use foam filling
- The warnings consumers do (and don’t) get when buying furniture
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. Jane Yee joined the NZ Herald as head of podcasts in 2025. She has worked in a variety of roles across TV, radio and digital media for more than 25 years.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
