Impact:
The Cave Creek disaster of 1995 had a significant impact on New Zealand at the time of the disaster. 14 people lost their lives in an accident that could have easily been prevented. Although it was a tragedy, the legacy of the students who died and the Conservation Officer still remains and is significant to society today. The Cave Creek disaster was a pivotal point of change for New Zealand. Before this disaster, the Department of Conservation was very blasé about their responsibility to provide safe tracks and structures in parks throughout New Zealand. The Government also overlooked the department when allocated funding before the disaster. This all changed on April 28th 1995. It was only then that these weaknesses were addressed and the country could being the process of change. Scholarships: The significance of the disaster is evident through new scholarships and memorial funds that have been set up as a result of Cave Creek. The Tai Poutini Polytechnic that these 13 students attended have ensured their legacy remains and that their love of the outdoor has not been forgotten. The polytechnic, with the support of the New Zealand Government, introduced the ‘Cave Creek Student Memorial Fund’. This fund gives up to 20 young people a chance to win the scholarship which they can use to complete an outdoor recreation programme. The fund enables any New Zealand student to apply for the scholarship, showing how significant the disaster was. Another scholarship was also set up in the wake of the Cave Creek disaster. The Department of Conservation Officer (Stephen O'Dea) who also died in the disaster also has a scholarship set up in his name, enabling young conservationists to further their skills by travelling overseas. Both of these scholarships show how much of a legacy was left behind, as they are still being handed out 18 years after the disaster. These memorial scholarships are significant as they help to give young people a chance to create their own futures, and as they are likely to continue to be granted in the future, these scholarships will ensure the Cave Creek legacy is never forgotten. New Ways of Life: Along with the changes in the policies of the Government and the Department of Conservation (see 'Consequences'), the disaster meant a new way of life for all the survivors, though one in particular, Stephen Hannen. Although 14 people died in the collapse, impacting their families and communities, Stephen Hannen survived. He was, however left a tetraplegic after the disaster. Stephen did not let this stop him from living life to the fullest. He embraced this new way of life and in 2005, he was part of the elite squad for the Wheelblacks (the New Zealand wheelchair rugby team). In 2008, he was also part of the development squad for the Beijing Olympic Games. This is of significance to New Zealand as he is representing our entire country and is setting examples that other disabled sports-people can use to motivate themselves and reach a level where they too can represent New Zealand. This is a great achievement, though it was a choice that Stephen Hannen would have overlooked, had he not been a part of the disaster. It shows that although the disaster happened in 1995, the legacy remains through survivors like Stephen Hannen who manage to pick themselves up and turn a tragedy into a triumph. Apologising: The Cave Creek disaster was so significant that in 2001, six years after the collapse, the Labour Conservation Minister, Sandra Lee, issued a formal apology to the families. Although the disaster happened under a National Government, once the Labour party came into power, they did not let the issue go and within two years of being in power, this apology was issued. Although Sandra Lee had not been Minister at the time, she said “it was her moral responsibility, regardless of whether she had a legal responsibility to do so”. She said that “the Government had an obligation to honour the memory of the victims by ensuring such a tragedy did not occur again”. This shows that disaster was powerful enough to still be a matter of public attention six years after it occurred. The fact that an apology was issued in 2001 shows that the disaster was still in the mind of New Zealander’s and that they would not let the issue fly under the radar with the hope that it would soon be forgotten. The formal apology emphasises the fact that New Zealand as a whole was concerned and appalled by the Government’s apparent lack of etiquette and they would not let go until the Government acknowledged this. Rules and Regulations: The disaster was also significant in changing the rules and regulations surrounding walking tracks in New Zealand. Starting right back in 1995, after the disaster, engineers and volunteer’s worked tirelessly to right the wrongs that had contributed to disaster. This started with ensuring there were warning signs on every one of their structures. To this day, even in the most remote places, each structure built by DOC has a “1 person maximum” sign attached to it, to alert trampers to the fact that they are made to withstand this limit only, unless otherwise stated. These sign show the significance of the disaster, as they have only been put up post-1995 (the year of the disaster) and without the tragedy, these signs would not feature on the tracks at all. They serve as a reminder of the Cave Creek disaster and the impact they had on reforming tramping tracks around the country. I personally have been tramping in the South Island and have noticed these “1 person maximum” signs on all bridges, platforms and board-walks. This shows that 18 years after the accident, people still take notice of these signs and consider them significant as they must adhere to them to avoid another incident like the one at Cave Creek. Footnotes: 11.‘Five years on families gather to remember plunge victims’ Updated 2013 www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=84 Visited 26 March 2013 12.‘Five years on families gather to remember plunge victims’ Updated 2013 www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=84 Visited 26 March 2013 |
"The Government had an obligation to honour the memory of the victims by ensuring such a tragedy did not occur again”.- Sandra Lee, MP (11) "Many people don't understand in these type of incidents the effects that last much longer than the public understand. It's a terrible thing that doesn't go away" |