Cases piling up at Coroner’s office delays grieving families hope of closure

A backlog of files at the State Coroner’s office has left grieving families waiting years for answers how about how their loved ones died.
It’s been revealed there are 810 cases that have been in the system for over a year.
One of those is the family of 44-year-old father, Andrew Herd, who died in a workplace incident in June 2019.
He was driving a truck along a quarry that fell into a pit at Red Hill Quarry Mine.
His family are still waiting for answers two-and-a-half years later.
His mother, Pauline Black, says the family are desperate for some closure.
“I’m trying to get his Estate together, and of course I can’t do anything too much because I don’t have a death certificate,” she said on 6PR Mornings.
“There’s so many loose ends that we’re trying to tie up, and in the meantime we’ve got a beautiful 15-year-old granddaughter that’s grieving.
“So yes it’s very difficult.”
Press PLAY to hear the full interview below
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