Legal suit possible over drowning

IT APPEARS the family of a young CQ girl who died at Bedford Weir a few years ago has started legal proceedings against several of the parties involved in the tragedy.

Nelani Koefer, 4, was swept away in a surge of water when a section of the Bedford Weir's inflatable storage barrier burst on Sunday, November 2008.

She had been at the popular picnic spot, 25km north of Blackwater, with her mother Amy, her uncle and his partner.

Nelani's mother Amy and Michael and Deborah Koefer have lodged an originating application for directions with the Supreme Court at Rockhampton, that paves the way for future legal proceedings.

The respondents are the State of Queensland, SunWater, which owns Bedford Weir, Trelleborg Engineering Systems, which made, installed and serviced the inflatable rubber extension which failed, and the Central Highlands and Isaac Regional Councils.

The matter is listed for Monday, but it's understood the application will likely be transferred to Brisbane.

Workplace Health and Safety has also charged SunWater and Trelleborg in relation to the tragedy, alleging the organisations breached the Workplace Health and Safety Act by failing to meet their obligations.

The charges were brought after an investigation took nearly a year.

A SunWater spokeswoman yesterday confirmed this matter was not yet finalised.

The Bulletin was unable to contact members of the Koefer family yesterday afternoon, while their legal representatives declined to comment.

SunWater also declined to comment with the matter before the courts, while spokespeople were unavailable for the two councils and Trelleborg.