State Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said the tragic circumstances surrounding his death need to be fully investigated.

Mr Macpherson, 32, was standing on the barge during construction on the NSW State Government’s $59 million Barangaroo Ferry Hub when the accident occurred.

Just before 4.25pm on March 1 he was crushed by a large piece of steel. He suffered critical injuries to his head and torso and died at the scene.

In March Labor Senator Doug Cameron called for a coronial inquest after unions revealed they had been blocked access to the site and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) issued the operators of the barge a prohibition notice 10 months before the tragedy as the vessel failed to meet safety standards.

“The MUA raised many concerns about safety before Tim’s death and the government failed to address those concerns,” Ms Hornery said.

“Concerns about safety were ignored and at the end of the day, a worker has been killed and his children left without a father. A family has been left broken.  Tim’s father Iain is haunted by his son’s death on a daily basis.

“This tragedy should never have happened and so many questions remained unanswered. The State Government should do the right thing and I am calling on the Premier to order a full coronial inquest.”

Brian Parker, the NSW secretary of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, said at the time that Mr Macpherson had been working as a rigger on the site for six months before the accident - a role that involved securing objects to a crane before they are lifted.

He was watching as a heavy metal beam was lifted by a crane, when it knocked into another beam, which toppled and hit him.

Mr Macpherson had a young family and had recently moved into their new home near Maitland.