24 February 2011

Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean says contingency plans to cope with the heavy demands on the Coronial system in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake are working well.

Mortuary facilities are in place at Christchurch Hospital and Burnham Military Camp and no bodies have had to be transferred out of the region to date.

“I am confident that in this time of immense grief and sorrow we can cope with whatever the death toll reaches.

“We are getting incredible support from Police and other Government agencies, the military, funeral directors and pathologists, and are all pulling together to do what has to be done.

“Inevitably in these circumstances there may be some delays but we will do all we can to make sure bereaved families have their loved ones back as quickly as possible,” Judge MacLean says.

The Coronial Inquests due to be held in Canterbury in the next few weeks will be adjourned but across the rest of the country Inquests and any deaths referred to the Coroner will continue to be dealt with through normal processes.

ENDS

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Denniston Announcement: Coal Mine Gains Access Approval

Conservation Minister Dr Nick Smith today announced his approval under the Crown Minerals Act for an access agreement for Bathurst Resources for its Escarpment Mining Project on the Denniston Plateau, near Westport.

“This approval is for an open-cast mine on 106 hectares of the 2026 hectares that comprise the Denniston Plateau. This area is not National Park, nor Conservation Park nor does it have any particular reserve status...

“The loss of conservation values is compensated by a $22 million package by Bathurst Resources. This will fund pest and predator control over 25,000 hectares of the Heaphy River catchment in the Kahurangi National Park, 4,500 hectares on and around the Denniston Plateau, as well as for historic projects on the Plateau itself. This is More>>