Gore District Council's pleaded guilty to a lesser WorkSafe charge after a toddler was found dead in an oxidation pond

In January 2019, three-year-old Lachlan Jones' body was found in the pond after he went missing from his home.

WorkSafe laid a charge against the Council under the Health and Safety at Work Act, which it initially pleaded not guilty to.

The charge has now been amended - removing the allegation, a serious risk of death arose from the Council's alleged breach.

Gore District Council chief executive Stephen Parry says they've now entered a guilty plea to the reduced charge of failing to perform a duty.