November 19, 2012
Media Release

Miners’ union mourns Pike River 29

The EPMU will host a public memorial in Blackball this evening together with the local community to commemorate the two year anniversary of the Pike River tragedy.

The memorial will take place from 6pm at the Blackball Workers’ Museum.

EPMU assistant national secretary Ged O’Connell says:

“This evening’s service is about honouring the 29 men who died at Pike River. We will stand with the families and with the local community and we will mourn this loss together.

“We acknowledge the efforts of the families to recover the bodies of their loved ones and we will continue to support the recovery in any way we can.

“But while we mourn for the dead, we must also fight for the living.

“The Royal Commission’s report shows this tragedy was avoidable, and our union will continue to campaign for the report’s recommendations to be implemented in full.

“If we are to truly honour the memory of the Pike River 29 then we must ensure this is never allowed to happen again.”

ENDS

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Scoop Business: Bathurst Gets Nod For DoC Access To Denniston Mine

Conservation Minister Nick Smith has approved access over conservation estate land for Bathurst Resources to develop an open cast coal mine on the Denniston Plateau, above Westport, to the dismay of environmental opponents.

The timing for Smith’s move avoids Bathurst having to resubmit applications for access agreements under the revised Crown Minerals Act, which comes into force tomorrow and would have required public consultation.

The announcement lands in the middle of delicate negotiations between the company, environmental groups and other interested parties that could pave the way to a broader agreement on the Escarpment proposal, whose resource consents are still subject to court appeals. More>>