Demonstration of safety, fulfilment of a promise
RNZ, Greymouth, April 19, 2018
Andrew Little, the Minister responsible for the Pike River Mine re-entry, said that he went into the mine’s drift today to demonstrate a safe re-entry is possible.
This morning, Mr Little went 30 metres into the Mine’s main entry tunnel with Pike Family representatives Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse – who both lost a family member in the 2010 disaster.
The Mine’s drift is sealed at the 30m mark, to stop methane leaking out.
Emotional Journey
Mr Little said it was an emotional journey.
“It was a bit of a milestone, we wanted to go up to the mine portal and the drift to have a look, and to understand the magnitude of the task that now lies in front of us. So, it was good to do that with two of the family representatives, knowing the job that we have ahead of us,” Mr Little said.
He said that in the 11 weeks since the coalition government formed the Pike River Recovery Agency, there had been real progress on plans for a safe re-entry and today proved that.
Mr Little said that a manned re-entry of the Mine’s drift, beyond the seal visited today, was still expected to be done by March 2019.
Significant milestone
Ms Osborne said being allowed to go 30 metres down the mine’s main entry tunnel today was a significant milestone.
Ms Osborne, whose husband Milton died in the 2010 mine explosions, said today she was closer to her husband than she’s been since the last day he last walked into the mine.
Ms Osborne said it broke her heart to be there.
Ms Rockhouse, who lost her son Ben in the disaster, said travelling down to the seal brought up a lot of emotions.
“It was amazing, it was very emotional. Anna and I stood there and put our hands on it and put our faces up against it and just closed our eyes and had a cry,” she said.
Long wait
Ms Rockhouse said this was the farthest the families had ever been down the mine’s drift – and was something they had waited for a long time.
While on the West Coast, Mr Little was meeting families of the 29 men who died in the 2010 mine disaster.
A spokesperson for some of the families, Bernie Monk, said that it was important that they be kept up to date with how work around the mine’s re-entry was going and today’s meeting would allow for that.
Mr Monk said that they had been kept in the dark under the previous government.
National criticises
Meanwhile, the National Party spokesperson for pike re-entry, Chris Finlayson, said Mr Little should let the government-appointed panel of experts looking into re-entry do their job, without trying to influence their decision.
Indian Newslink has published the above Report and Picture under a Special Agreement with www.rnz.co.nz
*
Photo Caption:
- Andrew Little, Minister for Pike River Mine Re-entry (File Picture)
