A retiring coroner is crediting the coronial process with making New Zealand a safer place to live and visit.

Richard McElrea has been investigating deaths in Canterbury and the West Coast for more than two decades.

He says many cases have led to regulatory reforms that have reduced repeats of similar incidents.

One example is a plane crash near Christchurch he investigated in June 2003, in which eight people lost their lives.

Mr McElrea says inquests have improved public and workplace safety and reduced hospital deaths.