❓ Question regarding ex gratia payments to Kimberley Ultramarathon victims and expansion of Coroner's jurisdiction to include bushfire investigations. The government refers to a previous response regarding payments and declines to expand the Coroner's jurisdiction.
AnsweredQoN 2985Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to Report No. 13 of the Legislative Assembly's Economics and Industry Standing Committee Inquiry into the 2011 Kimberley Ultramarathon , dated August 2012, and I ask: (a) did the injured participants Turia Pitt, Kate Sanderson, Michael Hull and Martin Van der Merwe receive ex gratia payments, as recommended by the Committee: (i) if yes to (a), what payments were made or will be made; and (ii) if no to (a), why not; and (b) has the jurisdiction of the Western Australian Coroner been expanded to include the investigation of bushfires, as discussed in the report: (i) if no to (b), why not; and (ii) if yes to (b), how will this work?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 May 2015
Response time
28 days
(a) Please refer to the Government Response to the Legislative Assembly's Economics and Industry Standing Committee
Inquiry into the 2011 Kimberley
Ultramarathon
of 13 November 2012.
(b) No. As indicated in the Government's response to the Report the Government does not intend to amend the
Coroner's Act 1996
to give the Coroner jurisdiction to investigate fires.
(i) Under the
Coroner's Act 1996
the Coroner is vested with jurisdiction to investigate reportable deaths. Prior to the current Act, the Coroner had been vested with the jurisdiction to inquire into the cause and origin of a fire, irrespective of whether a death had occurred.
That jurisdiction was removed as a deliberate decision of policy, as the investigation of fires and origin of fires is more effectively and appropriately conducted by specialist Police and Department of Fire and Emergency Services fire investigators.
(ii) N/A
Inquiry into the 2011 Kimberley
Ultramarathon
of 13 November 2012.
(b) No. As indicated in the Government's response to the Report the Government does not intend to amend the
Coroner's Act 1996
to give the Coroner jurisdiction to investigate fires.
(i) Under the
Coroner's Act 1996
the Coroner is vested with jurisdiction to investigate reportable deaths. Prior to the current Act, the Coroner had been vested with the jurisdiction to inquire into the cause and origin of a fire, irrespective of whether a death had occurred.
That jurisdiction was removed as a deliberate decision of policy, as the investigation of fires and origin of fires is more effectively and appropriately conducted by specialist Police and Department of Fire and Emergency Services fire investigators.
(ii) N/A
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