No charges over balcony collapse at student event

No-one will be charged after the collapse of a balcony at a surprise Six60 gig in Dunedin.

The collapse injured 18 students, most of them under the balcony at a student housing complex in Castle St.

Many of the students were attending the University of Otago.

Police have determined that no criminal offence occurred in relation to the March 4, 2016 collapse and would not be laying charges, Otago Coastal area commander Inspector Jason Guthrie confirmed yesterday.

The number of people on one of the balconies fluctuated from about nine to 18 or so at the point of the collapse. The balcony was not intended to hold more than eight people. Despite original reports that people were jumping up and down on the balcony, video footage shows this was not so.

The construction of the balcony and the materials used had not contributed to the collapse. A report released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in August 2016 concluded the balcony gave way because of ‘‘grandstand level’’ loadings.

A confidential University of Otago report, released to Stuff under the Official Information Act, said multiple failures and poor preparation contributed to the collapse.

A spokeswoman said yesterday the university welcomed the results of the police investigation.