Ministerial Statements — Loafers Lodge Fire—Newtown, Wellington

I wish to make a ministerial statement relating to the Newtown fire.

It is with great sorrow that I advise the House that there have been multiple deaths in a tragic fire in a residential building on Adelaide Road, Newtown this morning.

The Prime Minister and I, and local MPs Grant Robertson, Ibrahim Omer, and Paul Eagle, have just returned from Newtown. Along with Mayor Tory Whanau, we met with some of those affected. We met first responders and witnessed the distress on their faces. We heard stories of the scene that confronted Fire and Emergency and police when they first arrived.

At approximately 12.25 a.m. this morning, Fire and Emergency were called to what they knew would be a significant fire in a hostel in Wellington. I’m advised that the first fire truck arrived at 12.30 a.m. Crews found the fire was already well involved. The fire was quickly elevated to fifth alarm, the highest level. There were 20 fire appliances on the scene by 4 a.m. At its peak, there were 29 fire crews involved, with more than 80 firefighters from all over Wellington. Fire crews rescued five people off the roof, using a specialist aerial appliance. They helped save many, many lives. Fire and Emergency’s communication centre staff, who were taking 111 calls from people trapped in the building, did an exceptional job; they, too, undoubtedly saved lives last night.

The Prime Minister and I spoke with national commander Russell Wood and the incident controller, district manager Nick Pyatt, and firefighters at the scene this morning. The toll on our firefighters and communication centre staff is not to be underestimated. The devastation I saw on the faces of those involved was unmistakable. All I can say is thank you for your incredible service and your bravery.

Thank you also to police and Wellington Free Ambulance for the work they too have done overnight. Thank you especially to the staff at Wellington Hospital, literally just around the corner from the fire. Staff in the emergency department helped to triage patients and treat those most in need.

Fire and Emergency have told me that their key focus now is the wellbeing of its people and investigating the fire. At this stage, the cause of the fire is unexplained, and police will be working alongside Fire and Emergency to determine the cause. Police are asking people to please come forward if they or someone they know have been staying at the property; please contact 105, referencing Operation Rose.

The Ministry of Social Development and other agencies are working closely with Wellington City Council, which is leading the welfare response. Staff are onsite at the welfare centre at Newtown Park pavilion to look after those who have been affected. The residents have literally lost everything; maybe some, just the keys to the door of their room. We thank the Wellington City Mission and the Salvation Army as well for their support on the ground. We will work hard to ensure that those affected have a roof over their head.

Newtown is a microcosm of the Wellington region. The people who live there are a mix of working professionals, newly arrived migrants, refugees, students, young families, retired people, those living with the support of central and local government, and our community agencies, like the Salvation Army and City Mission. It is multicultural, full of character and diversity. Whether you are the Governor-General in the grandest house, or a newly arrived family fleeing a war zone overseas, there is a place for you in Newtown. The community is strong; people look after each other, and they love living there. This tragedy will hurt.

Our thoughts are with those affected, with the departed, and with their friends and family. To those who have passed, he aituā [a calamity]. Haere e ngā mate, haere, haere, haere atu rā. E mihi aroha ki ngā whanua pani. [To the departed, go on, depart, rest in peace. I greet with compassion those who are bereft.] Manuia lau malaga.

On behalf of the National Party, it is with the deepest sadness that I join the Minister in expressing our condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives this morning in Loafers Lodge, as well as those who have been displaced and dispossessed after the fire. People being pulled from the roofs of burning buildings or escaping by jumping out of windows is not something we expect to see in New Zealand, yet today we’ve seen it just down the road. The tragedy that we woke to this morning is not something we expect in 2023, and yet that is what has just unfolded.

Christopher Luxon and I have just returned from the site of the tragedy, where we met with survivors and first responders. We spoke with one man who had escaped the blaze, awoken only because he needed to go to the bathroom and saw smoke rolling down the corridor. He then had the opportunity to alert his friend in the neighbouring bedroom that they needed to escape. Tears rolled down his face as he recounted what had occurred in the night. Clearly traumatised, not only for fear of those who had lost their lives but also by what had occurred and the displacement that he will have to endure over the coming weeks as he tries to find a new home.

We spoke also with emergency personnel who have been responding to the fire since midnight. They are the very best of us. They were so brave, so self-effacing about their efforts. But they, in many cases, said that the work has only just begun. They have ahead of them a task which none of us would wish upon anyone, as they do the hard work—the gruelling work—to return those lost to loved ones.

One of the firefighters I spoke to told me of his concern for those on the communications lines overnight, some of whom, apparently, were speaking with those trapped in the building. Some of those calls ended very abruptly. The pain on the faces of the firefighters and emergency services staff was evident. Let there be no doubt that had it not been for their response last night and their valour, many more would have died. They are heroes, and their bravery in the face of danger and devastation is simply inspirational. They ran into a blazing fire, risking their lives in order to fight for the lives of others. The toll must be enormous. We say thank you, but we also pledge to help support them with the surely ongoing trauma from their involvement in this event.

I’m sure that over the coming hours and days, we will learn more of the true scale of this tragedy. Many people remain missing, and, as we sit here this afternoon, facts are still unfolding. There will come a time for questions, and those questions will deserve answers. Today is not that day, but I respectfully ask the Government: please engage the Opposition as you form terms of reference for the investigation into this event and how it came to pass.

Right now, my thoughts—and this Parliament’s thoughts, I’m sure—are with the mothers, the fathers, the wives, the husbands, the brothers, the sisters, the children who have lost loved ones, and also for those sick with worry waiting for news about whether their family members are safe. Just know that we are alongside you, waiting in hope with you. We are here to support you.

It is difficult to comprehend the terror and chaos that confronted residents of Loafers Lodge last night, but we know that in these times of desperation, there has also been immeasurable courage. I want to echo the Minister’s thanks to the paramedics at Wellington Free Ambulance and to the staff at Wellington Regional Hospital, caring for victims as we speak. I know that in this moment the Wellington community will step up to support those displaced and traumatised. We have already seen the Wellington City Mission and local churches come to the effort. These are some of our most vulnerable citizens and Wellington will stay with them. May the victims of this tragedy rest in peace. Our thoughts are with all affected.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. On behalf of ACT’s members of Parliament, I’d like to join this debate in support of the words of the two earlier speakers—the Hon Barbara Edmonds and Nicola Willis—offering our thoughts, prayers, and sympathies to those who have perished in this dreadful disaster.

I say “dreadful” because while New Zealand has its share of terrible tragedies, there are few that can bring the dread of people perishing in a fire. So our thoughts, prayers, and sympathies are with those people as deeply and sincerely as ever. That extends with our condolences for those who have lost loved ones: brothers and sisters; parents, mothers and fathers; sons and daughters; work colleagues; neighbours in the Newtown district—for whom this will be a terrible shock to wake up to this morning.

We also acknowledge—as so often at times like this—that the emergency services in New Zealand are a group of people who, time after time, rise to the challenge, instinctively know what to do, and save many lives even at great emotional cost and scarring to themselves often. And we should be truly grateful to live in a country where the innate character of the people who do those jobs means the best of them comes out precisely when it is needed to rise to that challenge.

I reiterate what we heard from the earlier speaker. There will be questions around the right policies and whether they were followed and whether there was wrongdoing or responsibility. But the time for those questions is certainly not today: it is when the full facts and evidence have been gathered by the appropriate authorities. I ask and urge—and I’m sure I don’t need to—that all people involved in the political sphere respect the people involved in this tragedy and follow that course of events properly.

Finally, I reiterate our thoughts, our prayers, and our sympathies for those who have perished in this dreadful tragedy, those who loved and lost them, and those still dealing with the immediate aftermath of what happened in the early hours of this morning. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. On behalf of the Green Party of Aotearoa / New Zealand and as an MP based in Wellington Central and just personally, I do want to extend, also, our deepest sympathies and condolences to the whānau and the friends and the colleagues of those who have lost their lives this morning.

Our thoughts are with those who have lost their lives and the residents who have lost so much as a result of the fire. It is a tragedy for those directly involved and for the Wellington community at large, and our hearts do go out to those who are affected.

I do want to acknowledge that those people who were affected by this were amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our community, and they deserve our respect and our support.

I do want to acknowledge, also, the work of the firefighters and the healthcare workers who did an extraordinary job and who acted very quickly to ensure that this awful situation wasn’t even worse and saved many lives.

I am also very, very angry, because I do have a number of questions. And I do respect the calls of the last two speakers, but when they say that there is a time that we should be asking questions, I take a different view, as well, because the questions in my mind are: what kind of country are we that we allow this kind of thing to happen to our most vulnerable members of our community? What kind of country are we, where those people have so few options in life but to live in substandard accommodation with a reasonable chance of lethality? What kind of country are we, where we would not raise a building code because we’re worried we might be accused of issuing a “war on landlords”? I think: what kind of country are we where our firefighters lack or are at risk of not showing up with the most basic of equipment to be able to fight these kinds of events?

Those questions do need to be answered, I think, in the fullness of time. But I do have some questions today for the Minister of Internal Affairs. Firstly, has she had any conversations with Cabinet colleagues about the adequacy of the fire code and how fire safety requirements are applied to existing buildings, and will there be urgent moves to improve the approach to retrofitting sprinkler systems?

Did the—

💬 David Seymour: Sorry, does the Minister want to answer?

Does the Hon Barbara Edmonds wish to respond?

Thank you, Mr Speaker. To the question by the leader of the Green Party, I have had numerous conversations with both our Prime Minister and other Cabinet colleagues throughout the day. I am being informed of the progress as the day progresses through Fire and Emergency New Zealand. It is too early to rule anything in or out, and, right now, our focus is on supporting Fire and Emergency New Zealand and those who have been affected by this tragedy.

My second question relates to the resourcing of those firefighters. Is she aware that only a few days ago the firefighters union had reported that Wellington’s busiest fire truck was out of action for 58 hours due to a lack of staff, and, if so, what is she doing to ensure that our firefighters have the resources that they need to keep people safe in emergencies like this?

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have confidence in Fire and Emergency New Zealand to make the best decisions about how, when, and where to respond. In the end, no Minister or member of Parliament should try to substitute their opinion for the decisions of expert firefighters and search and rescue responders, who have to make split-second decisions based on the information in front of them.

Finally, we have learnt today that many of the people who were living in this accommodation were in very difficult circumstances. What conversations is she having with her colleagues about what the Government is doing to address the underlying support needs of vulnerable people and, secondly, as part of this, to build enough decent, safe housing for everyone regardless of their circumstances?

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the number of support agencies who are at the Newtown Park pavilion right now supporting all those who have been affected. The Ministry of Social Development and other agencies are working closely with the Wellington City Council to respond to their needs right now and obviously will be looking to the future. We will work hard to ensure all those who have been affected will have a roof over their heads.

E ka hua au ki te uira e kanapa rā runga Kokotaiki e

Ko te tini o te mate ka riro atu rā ki te huinga kahurangi e

E hoki atu rā aku nui, aku wehi, aku whakatiketike e

Ki te pō uriuri, ki te pō tangotango, ki a Hine Nui i te Pō

Pō kia whakataukī au i konei: he tokotoru nā Hine Tama

Ka horu te moana e

E ngā mate o te wā, e te parekura nui kua whāwhāhia nei e ngā matikara o Mahuika, haere. Kotahi noa te kōrero ki a koutou: whoatu. Whoatu koutou i runga i te ara kōrero kua parangia e te tini, e te mano. Koutou kua haere ki tua o Reitū, ki tua o Reiao, hāunga rā ngā mahi kikokiko kua rongo nei i tēnei Whare, engari ko te whare nui o te Pāremata i te rangi e pōhiri nei i a koutou.

Inā ngā kōrero ki roto i ngā Karaipiture, i roto i te Paipera: ko te ahi te whakatinanatanga o te Atua. Koia hoki tā koutou whai, koia hoki tā koutou kapo i tēnei rā.

Nō reira ka whakamoemiti, ka whakamoemiti te mahi me te tuku, te tuku atu i ō koutou wairua ki te poho o te Runga Rawa hei piringa mōna. Ko ngā whakamoemiti hoki e rongo nei koutou i te hātere, i te hāwhā, i te tētere. Hei aha? Hei whakapaipai mō tōu matenga. Inā ko ngā kōrero tuku i a koutou i tēnei rā. Nō reira koutou e ngā mate, haere, haere, whakangaro atu rā.

Ā, ko ngā whakamoemiti anō hoki ki ngā kaiāwhina, ki ngā tāngata patu ahi, ki ngā pirihimana, ki a rātou i tuku atu, i toro atu i te ringa āwhina ki a koutou.

Nō reira kāti ake, kāre tēnei i te whakatō roa i ngā kōrero, engari i runga i te ngākau Māori, e Peeni, e Nanaia, tika tonu kia tuku atu i te hunga nei i tēnei rā. Nō reira ka tuku kia rite ki ō tātou marae, me tuku atu rātou, ā, ā tōna wā ka tarea e te kikokiko te whai i te kikokiko. Engari ko te ao wairua tēnei i tēnei wā tonu, nō te mea kei te tatari tonu, kei te whiriwhiri tonu kei hea wētahi.

Nō reira kei te mahana tonu tēnei tūāhuatanga, me waiho rātou ki a rātou, ko te mahi i tēnei wā ka tuku.

Nō reira e hika mā kāre tēnei i te whakatō roa i ngā kōrero, ka mutu au i runga i ngā kupu nei:

Waiata—Te Hokinga Mai

Kia ora tātou.

[I call to the lightning that flashes above Kokotaiki

The many deceased that have passed on to the gathering place of the nobility

Return, the great ones, the inspirational ones, the lofty ones

To the dark night, to the deep night, to the Great Lady of Death

I proverbialise here: the three of Hine Tama

The very ocean cries

To the recently departed, the great tragedy that was handled by the fingernails of Mahuika, pass on. There is only one thing to say to you: go on. Go on the proverbialised path that was blazed by the many, by the multitude. You who have gone beyond Reitū, beyond Reiao, notwithstanding the physical work that we hear of here in this House, but in the great house of Parliament in the heavens that welcomes you.

These are the statements within the Scriptures, in the Bible: fire is the embodiment of God. That is your goal, that is has caught you today.

So we give thanks, giving thanks is the task and to release, to release your souls to the bosom of the Most High for him to shelter. Thanks also as you hear the lute, the harp and the lightning. For what purpose? To serve as an embellishment for your passing. These indeed are the statements that release you today. So to the dearly departed, go, go, pass on.

And thanks also to the support personnel, to the fire service, to the police, to those who that offered, that reached out a helping hand to you.

So that will do, I am not merely prolonging the speech, but in the manner of a Māori heart, Peeni, Nanaia, it is appropriate that these people be sent on today. So the sending on should be the same as our marae, we should release them, and at an appropriate time the flesh can follow the flesh. But this instead is the spiritual realm at this time, because they are still waiting, they are still discussing where others might be.

So this phenomenon remains warm, we should now leave them to each other, the task at this time is to send them on.

So, my friends, I’ll not merely prolong the discussion, I will conclude with the following words:

Waiata—Te Hokinga Mai

Greetings to us all.]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Again, I’d like to thank the speakers in the House today for their words of support, and acknowledge those who have departed.

This morning, I was speaking to Major Joe Serevi from the Salvation Army in Newtown, and I just want to leave these words—his words, that he said to me this morning—“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose. A time to be born, a time to die. A time to love, and a time to hate.” At this time, we wrap our support and aroha around those who are affected. There will be a time for answers, and we will respond.