Council waits for coronial inquiry over cliff site safety improvements

POTENTIAL measures to improve safety at a site where a 17-year-old girl fell to her death from a cliff earlier this year have been delayed.

Floral tributes for 17-year-old Maggie Lore who fell to her death from a cliff at Blackmans Bay.

POTENTIAL measures to improve safety at a site where a 17-year-old girl fell to her death from a cliff earlier this year have been delayed after the Kingborough Council deferred a decision to progress with acquiring the land.

A site survey of the Blackmans Bay Blowhole, where Maggie Lore fell to her death in January, by council staff has been completed and was to be presented to the council at its meeting on Monday.

But after councillors raised their concerns at Kingborough’s previous meeting on March 14 and passed a deferral motion by majority, the council will wait until the coronial inquiry into Miss Lore’s death is completed.

This is despite council officers recommending that the council seeks a lease agreement from the State Government over the Crown land, saying the risk to the council in taking on a lease was arguably no greater.

Cr Graham Bury moved the motion to defer the recommendation until the coroner’s report was completed.

“I think it would be unwise for us to take on this land before we have the report from the coroner. The coroner might recommend a fairly expensive cure for what’s going on,” he said.

Cr Dean Winter, the only councillor who voted against the deferral motion, said it was worrying that any measures to improve safety at the blowhole was now dependent on a potentially lengthy coronial inquest.

Originally published as Council waits for coronial inquiry over cliff site safety improvements