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An urgent warning: NZ Labour government moves to seal Pike River mine
The New Zealand government’s Pike River Recovery Agency (PRRA) resumed work this week on installing the first of two seals in the Pike River underground coal mine.
The Labour Party-led government is intent on ending an underground investigation into the November 2010 disaster in the mine, which killed 29 people. It has brushed aside the objections of the Pike River Families Group Committee, which represents the majority of the 29 families. These families are demanding that the investigation proceed into the mine workings to examine crucial evidence about what caused the underground explosions. They are backed by several international mining experts who have explained that this can be done safely.
It said the recovery would cost $8m and take 12 weeks using standard mining techniques. The Pike River Recovery Agency was tasked by the Government to complete a $50m re-entry of the mine’s access tunnel, or drift, which it achieved in February. It planned to hand the mine site over to the Department of Conservation in June. Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little said he had received the report and was “obliged” to have Pike River Recovery Agency experts review it before commenting.
NZ Police
The Pike River mine after the disaster in November 2010. “The agency has indicated it will need to have WorkSafe review it in the first instance,” he said.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry pointed towards the underground fan as being the most likely ignition source of the first explosion and further evidence gathered by the independent investigation team and international experts only reinforces this. The Families experts have devised a safe, technically achievable and financially feasible plan to go through the roof fall and reach the fan area.
23 of the 29 Pike River Families support the move to recover the main fan site (Families polled in April 2021) and as a result of that, the Families international experts have spent the last month working pro bono on a roof fall recovery plan (copy attached).