Council meeting over manhole complaints 

Source: NZPAAisling Symes

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey will be holding meeting with council officers on Wednesday morning to discuss drain complaints after Aisling's death.

Aisling's body was found on Monday night in a drain in Longburn Road, a week after she went missing.

During the initial search for the two-year-old, police found the stormwater drain's manhole cover had been displaced but it would have been too heavy for the child to lift.

Inspector Gary Davey said they looked down the drain twice the day Aisling disappeared and sent cameras down the next day, but found no sign of her.

There had been four complaints to the Waitakere City Council about the manhole cover dislodging during flooding.

The latest complaint received about the drain was on September 11.

Aisling's body was found when police decided to recheck the pipe. A digger and concrete cutter had to be used to clear obstructions.

Neighbours say they had complained to the council in the past about the manhole, the cover of which could come off in heavy rain.

"The manhole would lift off and water would come pouring out in heavy rain," Sonya Carrington says.

"We called the council and some councillors and it has been looked at, but it's never been fixed yet."

Harvey says staff will discuss the complaints on Wednesday morning.

"To be honest, I'm a bit surprised that that has not been revealed before to myself or the police."

Harvey says it is a very serious situation and he wants some answers.

Still to be explained was whether someone moved a 20kg manhole cover over the stormwater drain in which the toddler was believed to drowned, Harvey says.

While it was not thought the gap was enough for a child to squeeze through, Harvey said that was one question the council now had to answer.

"So what happened? That child had to go down that drain," he said.

"She is small but she is not that small and then someone has got to close it (the manhole cover) to that degree after she is in the drain."

The drain was blocked by tree roots and that was thought to cause back pressure, which forced off the manhole cover.

An autopsy on Tuesday found Aisling's death was consistent with drowning. She had no injuries.

Her body was released to her family and the death referred to the coroner.