Plans to Recover Pike 29

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Pike River families have today been told of plans to re-enter the mine in the first stages of a recovery process.

Former Pike River safety manager Neville Rockhouse lost his son at Pike River but called today’s revelation a positive step amid frustration from families that nothing had been done by receivers to return their loved ones home.

“For the first time it has been publicly acknowledged that there is no body recovery programme in place, that it is just a mine recovery programme at this time.”

Families of the 29 lost miners have been told funding has instead been secured for the Mines Rescue Service to begin stage one of the recovery operation. On May 30, plans to implement the first stage of the re-stabilisation process will commence. One section of the 2.3km tunnel will be sealed in a process to reach the area where the men’s bodies are suspected to lie.

Six months have passed since the Pike tragedy, and officials say it could take until at least July to reach the 170m rock-fall that along with harmful gasses has prevented rescue operations from entering the coal seam.

While an exact dollar amount could not be confirmed, the Pike legal team said hundreds of thousands in funding would be required for critical feasibility studies by mining experts.

While funding for the operation has not been confirmed, Tasman police district commander Superintendent Gary Knowles stated that money was never an issue.

Nigel Hampton QC who is leading the Mining Union’s legal team, said amongst the three reasons driving the decision to remove the bodies, closure for the families was most important, but identifying the cause of the explosions and clearing the mine for commercial resale were also held in consideration.

It was not yet clear whether the National government would step in to offer funding for the second stage of the recovery process.

ENDS

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