MEDIA RELEASE 1 March 2011

Royal Commission’s Preliminary Hearing Deferred Until 5 April

The preliminary hearing of the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy has been deferred until 5 April 2011 at 11am at the Greymouth High Court. The date previously advised was 11 March 2011.

Chair of the Commission, Justice Graham Panckhurst, says the date has been deferred because of the Christchurch earthquake. “A new date was necessary to enable counsel and others to prepare for the preliminary hearing and to reorganise their affairs following the major disruption caused by the earthquake.”

“In the meantime the Commission Office has been relocated from Christchurch to Wellington for logistical and operational reasons. Hearings will still take place in Greymouth,” says Justice Panckhurst.

ENDS