The Pike River Mine Drift will be re-entered, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little announced today.
“I’ve decided the Te Kāhui Whakamana Rua Tekau Mā Iwa – Pike River Recovery Agency, recommended course of action to enter the drift, using the existing access tunnel, is by far the safest option,” said Andrew Little.
“I’ve been considering the re-entry recommendations, risk assessments and information provided by the Pike River Recovery Agency, along with input from independent advisor, Rob Fyfe.
“The re-entry method I have approved is the simplest and safest plan.
“The process we’ve gone through to plan a safe, re-entry has been extensive and robust. Experts from around the world have spent months examining details of all the risks pertaining to each option.
“The planned method of re-entry will be made safe through the use of controls, in line with mining standards around the world.
“This is an extraordinarily complex undertaking and we have had the benefit of advice from some of the best in the world in their field.
“Safety has been our paramount concern throughout this planning process, and supported wholeheartedly by the Pike River families.
“I want to thank the families for working alongside the Pike River Recovery Agency over the past months. And for the eight years in which they never gave up hope.
“The New Zealand Police is closely involved in the operation. With their support and advice the drift tunnel will be thoroughly examined through to the roof fall area.
“Work to prepare the mine drift for re-entry is underway, and includes venting methane from the mine, pumping nitrogen into the mine, and then filling the drift with fresh air. Additional boreholes have to be drilled and this work will get under way immediately.
“The advice I have received indicates that it is likely to be around February before the re-entry proper gets underway, by breaching the 30m seal.
“The people of New Zealand can rest assured that this re-entry plan is achievable. It is now our intention to get this job done, and try and find out why those 29 men went to work on 19 November 2010, and never came home,” Andrew Little said.
- The Pike River Mine Re-entry Plan and all briefing papers provided to the Minister have been released today and are available on the Pike River Recovery Agency website – www.pikeriverrecovery.govt.nz
So here it is. Finally.
Hopefully Winston will be first in and show John Key a few old tricks he learnt on the Snowy River Hydro Scheme in Australia ?
Shame on the last government for sweeping this to the side. Well done to the new government for doing what they said they would do and finally wishes to the families, that they may have some closure.
about bloody time, hope they include a team of mine accident investigators as well, people need justice and the company directors need to be JAILED
Andrew, your comments are distasteful, heartless and illustrative of an individual who is devoid of any sense of compassion towards not only the devastated families of the deceased but to the deceased themselves who have lain where they fell while simply doing their jobs.
To any of the families of the deceased and their friends who might read Andrew’s appalling comments, please do not let those comments penetrate or even dent your armour of resolve to recover your loved ones. All of you have fought so bravely for so long that you and your loved ones deserve the peace of knowing that they have been removed from the mine and properly laid to rest.
Andrew, if ever someone, perhaps a stranger, extends their sense of compassion to you and helps you when you are down, I hope you remember the comments you have just made and feel ashamed. Luckily, the majority of people in this country are compassionate and their individual hearts and the heart of the nation, of which at the moment you do not belong, are with the families of those who died in the mine.
Congratulations Mr Little for making this decision and shame on the previous National Government for refusing a re-entry.
Andrew has to be a dork. He’s deflecting attention from his lord and master, John Key, who promised to recover the bodies. His broken promise will forever be an odious stain on Key’s tenure as PM.
Lest we forget why it has taken so long: John Key.
Andrew you comments are ugly and repulsive. You are a weak and pathetic individual lacking any semblance of courage or dignity. Laugh as no doubt you will but it will the harsh laugh of clown with a fixed downward smile on its wooden face.
Mjolnir – we really need Key right of the national psyche, it’s a great shame he never quit the country that he did nothing for.
Manners maketh the man, and Key had no manners so I don’t see him as a man.
History will record him as a distinct oddity with a penchant for pulling girls’ hair.
His acolytes may think money maketh the man, but ‘the song it goes deeper and higher’.
Money just buys knighthoods (ha ha ha), pays for the power bills and kids’ new shoes and a plastic pack of saveloys, but when it signals that dead miners don’t matter, and when it acts as a role model for the Andrews, then the Andrews are being short-changed here. Pity them.
As D’Esterre says, this is the right thing to do. Simple as. This is our new flag. It’s been a while coming, but it’s here.
Andrew why don’t you see if you can get a job in the White House as an adviser to Donald the Trumpet blower? Actually, on second thoughts even he wouldn’t have you.
Oh I know, you could team up with Duterte in the Phillipines. Now there’s a partnership that would flourish. You two would bounce along quite nicely together executing people on a whim.
Andrew, do you work at WINZ or Housing NZ?
Andrew Little, you are very impressive as a politician doing the right thing (would have made a good PM). Like so many others my heart is warm knowing that the Pike River families and their dead, will have justice at last.
Andrew I agree more should be spent on education & health, but it’s not an either/or option against entering the mine. The government could afford all of it, & we need it for our humanity.
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