A number of Pike River families and supporters have begun protesting at the site of the mine this morning against the government s decision to close the recovery project.
Bernie Monk s son was one of the 29 mineworkers killed. (File photo).
Photo: Pike River Recovery Agency
The government announced in March there would be no more money to expand the project after the Recovery Agency reached the furthest point for the drift recovery efforts last month.
But the group representing 22 families of Pike River victims are refusing to accept the decision.
This morning, more than two dozen people showed up at the site of the disaster to begin a protest, which they have warned, will continue for as long as it takes.
Pike River families picket to stop mine being sealed stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
New Zealand government preparing to seal Pike River mine
The New Zealand Labour Party government’s Pike River Recovery Agency (PRRA) is aiming to install the first of two seals in the underground coal mine this week, having already removed technical equipment. Work on the temporary seal 170 metres inside the drift, or entry tunnel, was to have started last week, but was delayed by bad weather.
Just over two years ago, on May 21, 2019, workers employed by the PRRA re-entered the mine to determine the causes of the November 2010 explosions which killed 29 workers. Labour and its allies, the Greens and NZ First Party, had promised in the 2017 election to conduct the underground investigation and to try to recover bodies from the mine.
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Last month I saw this quirky café sign that appealed to my nerdiness – that 31 years equates to a billion seconds. Bar a few thousand, it’s been a blast and an enormous privilege to be part of governing .