Chris Minns apologizes to Hooper family over misinformation

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has pledged a personal apology to the family of Lily Hooper, a teenage bush hiker who died during a recent search operation. The apology follows an error during a parliamentary hearing where the Premier incorrectly stated that Hooper was alive before later confirming her death.

Mr Minns expressed profound regret, stating he was “absolutely devastated” and sorry if his comments added to the family's grief. He noted that the family has “gone through hell” over the past week.

In response to the error, the Premier, Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, and Police Minister Yasmin Catley have committed to reviewing and strengthening protocols for communicating accurate information between government agencies, emergency services, families, and the media. Commissioner Lanyon indicated that he would work with the SES Commissioner to ensure future communications in remote search operations are “foolproof.”