March trial set for Hawk Packaging
A hearing date has been set for Hastings company Hawk Packaging and its director Tim Combs after a fire that destroyed the Tomoana Rd site in January.
The huge blaze damaged the neighbouring premises occupied by ENZA Foods which has brought legal action in an attempt to recover insurance costs.
Mr Combs faces two charges of breaching the Health and Safety in Employment Act and two other charges have been laid against Hawk Packaging.
Not-guilty pleas were entered to all charges.
The January 17 inferno forced the evacuation of nearby homes and required firefighters from throughout the North Island to attend. The fire was one of the fiercest seen in Hawke's Bay, with fire crews battling throughout the night in heat so intense it melted oxygen masks, caused tyres to start melting and shattered windscreens and blistered paint on fire trucks. Ash fallout rained and was evident kilometres away throughout Hastings and Havelock North.
In the Hastings District Court yesterday the lawyer representing ENZA Foods, Daniel Kerr, said 19 witnesses would appear for the prosecution, including members of the fire service.
Judge Bridget Mackintosh ordered full disclosure to be made by the end of November.
The hearing was set down for March 2013.
