Pike River mine recovery should be completed by March, 2019 - PM
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the Government's plan to re-enter Pike River mine.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government expects the recovery in the drift at Pike River mine will be completed by March, 2019.
Ardern said the Government did not believe any health and safety laws needed to be changed to re-enter the mine.
The final decision on whether to enter would lie with the Minister Responsible for the Pike River Re-entry, Andrew Little. He would not say whether he would be legally responsible if something went wrong, but under health and safety laws a person was liable, and he said the government department would answer to him.
Pike River mine.
The Government would still seek more information on the safety of re-entering the mine's drift. There would always be some risk, Ardern said. But the agency would weigh up, based on evidence, whether the level of risk was acceptable.
READ MORE: Minister hands Pike River families the key to the mine access road
The agency will be set up by the end of January 2018, and the mine re-entered, and any remains recovered, by March 2019.
Bernie Monk (left), says he won't be celebrating until the job is done. But the establishment of the agency was a good step forward.
Ardern said this would bring the families some "much overdue closure, and if possible, peace of mind".
The Government had budgeted $7.6 million a year for three years, up to $23m, for the agency and re-entry.
An explosion ripped through the West Coast mine on November 19, 2010, killing 29 men. Their bodies have not been recovered.
Fresh from a ceremony with families of the victims yesterday, Pike River Minister Andrew Little will present options for re-entering the mine's drift to Cabinet later on Monday. Mr Little spent yesterday's seventh anniversary of the disaster at the mine with the victims' families and presented them with keys to the gate leading up to the mine.
The coalition agreement between Labour and NZ First included a commitment to re-enter the mine. Before the election both parties committed to re-entry.
The announcement came on Monday, after Cabinet discussed the options.
Ardern said there would be risk, but the objective was to mitigate the risk, and make sure it was at an acceptable level.
The Pike River families have always said they only wanted a re-entry if it was safe to do so.
The government had committed to involving the families in the process. If there were road blocks the families of the miners would know about it.
Little said under the former government the families felt excluded from the process, and they did not have all the information.
"The new agency will make sure that the families and their experts are listened to, respected, and included. It is crucial to make every effort to recover the drift, so it can be comprehensively investigated."
He also said the employees who were asked to enter the mine, would have the option of not entering the mine if they believed the task posed a risk. This was the status quo under New Zealand health and safety law.
SAFETY FIRST
National workplace relations spokeswoman Amy Adams said the government had "wound back" its promises, from both prior to the election and in recent weeks.
"This approach closely reflects the view of the previous government - that safety is paramount."
The Government recognised it could not waive health and safety laws, rush or force a re-entry, Adams said.
"The National Party continues to support re-entry, if it can be safely achieved and I would encourage the Government to listen to the experts."
Ardern and Little said the commitment to families had always been to do whatever they could to re-enter the mine, but safety was always paramount.
'NO CELEBRATION UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE'
Pike River family spokesman Bernie Monk, who lost his son Michael in the disaster, said the families could not ask for more than what the new government had done.
"After seven years of stalling and of being fobbed off by the last government, we're now making great strides towards re-entering the drift and recovering remains and evidence," he said.
"This is really important to us, but it is also important to all of New Zealand, we should not be a country where a crime-scene goes unexamined for seven years."
While other family members were excited by Monday's announcement, Monk said it was bitter sweet - this progress could have been made a long time ago.
"There will be no celebration here until the job is done," he said.
Anna Osborne, whose husband Milton died in the mine, has said the families didn't take this lightly.
"We've all lost loved ones so we know what that feels like to lose a loved one in a workplace accident. So we don't want anyone to risk their lives going into a mine to retrieve our loved ones' remains."
But expert advice to date said a manned entry was possible.
Osborne said the involvement of family members in the creation of the agency showed the job would be done properly.
"This is a transparent and inclusive process and we've made it clear that safety comes first."
Sonya Rockhouse, who lost her son Ben in the mine, said it really felt like they'd hit the ground running.
The families would meet with Little for an update on Tuesday morning.
The agency's official name would be the Pike River Recovery Agency, Te Kahui Whakamana Rua Tekau ma Iwa. The te reo name translates to: The Empowering Voice for the Pike 29.
Sunday marked seven years since the explosion. The day was marked by Little handing the families the keys to the mine access road gate.
- Stuff
