WorkSafe won't investigate gas leak that saw Kawerau streets cordoned off

Several streets in Kawerau had to be cordoned off in late March due to the gas leak. Photo / File

WorkSafe will not be investigating after Kawerau District Council staff damaged a live gas pipe.

Several streets in Kawerau had to be cordoned off in late March after council staff damaged a gas pipe under Bell St while repairing a water pipe that had been damaged by subcontractors.

Health and safety officer Paul Snook told councillors at an audit and risk committee meeting that after council staff repaired the damage, they identified a second leak in the water pipe.

When cutting through the thick tree roots around the pipe, staff accidentally damaged a hidden gas line.

The staff evacuated and the Kawerau Fire Brigade took control of the scene.

A gas technician repaired the line around an hour later.

Snook said although it was a serious event, WorkSafe was content with the corrective actions council staff had undertaken to ensure it didn't happen again.

He said this included the purchase of a cable avoidance tool.

This tool detects the cables that run along gas pipes and alerts staff to their presence before they begin digging. The council has also purchased forestry pruning shears to cut through tree roots rather than sawing them.

Additional training is now in place for the team.

"The team are now far more aware, and they have better tools and resources," Snook said.

Manager operations and services Hanno van der Merwe said there were issues with gas lines being laid many years ago and, in this case and two others, they were not recorded as being in that location.

"We often find things that are not where they are supposed to be," van der Merwe said.

"The legislation in New Zealand is that the gas companies are not responsible in this situation, the person digging is."

Van der Merwe said it was not a risk the council could nullify and some of the older pipes did not have tracer wire.

Kawerau mayor Malcolm Campbell agreed that records were not 100 per cent accurate and the number of services now running underground is "phenomenal".

He said it was an ongoing issue the council needed to be aware of in the future.