NSW Police Minister Michael Gallacher has referred the police investigation into the deaths  of Eliza Wannan and Will Dalton-Brown to the NSW Ombudsman, the Police Integrity Commission and the Professional Standards Unit of NSW Police for an independent review.

Lee Dalton, the mother of Will Dalton-Brown, and Eliza’s parents Andrew and Katrina  Wannan have been advocating for more transparency over the police investigation since the teenagers’ deaths on Australia Day in 2010.

The couple, both 19, died after being run over while sleeping in swag in a paddock after a party at a property near Molong.

Ms Dalton welcomed the new inquiry.

“This is all about getting justice for Will and Eliza,” she said.

“Nothing will bring our children back, but what we do want is a closer scrutiny of the police investigation, which we have been dissatisfied with all along.

“We also want a change of the law. Since the program about Will and Eliza went to air on Four Corners we have been overwhelmed by the support we have received in our quest to get justice for both Will and Eliza.”

Ms Dalton has not been officially notified of Mr Gallacher’s decision to call an independent review, but found out about the new inquiry on the Four Corners Facebook page.

The driver of the vehicle that ran over the young couple, Rhys Colefax, was not charged with any offence.

Police made a decision not to charge Mr Colefax with any traffic offences, saying the incident happened on private property, meaning it did not come under the jurisdiction of NSW traffic legislation.

Mr Colefax was breath-tested by police at the scene of the tragedy and the alcometer returned a zero reading, however, several days later police discovered the alcometer was faulty and it was sent away for repairs.

At the recent inquest into the deaths of Ms Wannan and Mr Dalton-Brown, the results of a blood and urine test conducted at Orange Base Hospital following the incident showed that Mr Colefax had been drinking before the incident.

He was a 17-year-old unlicensed driver at the time, who drove himself to the party on the Belgravia Road.

During the inquest, the issue of a conflict of interest by police investigating the case of Mr Colefax, who was the son of serving police officer at the time, was raised several times by solicitors of the families of Ms Wannan and Mr Dalton-Brown.

During cross examination at the inquest, investigating officer Senior Constable Grant Gannon told said he was not a friend of Rhys’ father Brett Colefax, and only had minimal contact with the officer, who worked in a separate building.

He also said he only saw the officer briefly in the course of his work from time to time or glimpsed him at the annual staff Christmas party.

Mr Gallacher was unavailable for comment on his decision for a review of the case.