Speaking from the site on Monday, Jackson said the first question to answer was what caused the explosion – something authorities have been hesitant to detail, but which has the signs of a gas blast.
“And then once we know that, the question will be and should be: Well, was it something that could have been known about, was it preventable?” she said
‘If you’re asking me more generally about the state of social housing … it’s a real concern.’
Premier Chris Minns
“It’s interesting just to see the damage is very much at the rear of the property and a lot of the maintenance issues had been in relation to meters at the front.
“We’re not clear yet on what has or hasn’t worked.”
Jackson said Jemena’s records on the property “just hasn’t been coming through yet”, and the gas company did not respond to The Sydney Morning Herald’s specific question about whether it had passed on the records.
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NSW Premier Chris Minns said the previous government had not kept up to date with “basic maintenance” of social housing in the state.
“I don’t want to prejudge the investigation into the circumstances relating to that explosion, but if you’re asking me more generally about the state of social housing … it’s a real concern,” he said.
The Herald had previously reported the concerns of several residents who said the street had smelt strongly of gas for more than a year, and had believed the issue had been reported to authorities.
One resident said the smell was so bad that she had stopped taking her children to school past the laneway behind the townhouse.
On Monday afternoon, Fire and Rescue NSW handed control of the property over to NSW Police, following the discovery of Jasmin’s body.
Police will continue the investigation into the blast, and the area remains blocked off.
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Source Agencies
