Pike overruns not ‘surprise’

WEEKEND news that the Pike River Coal mine reentry could cost up to $12 million more than the $23 million already budgeted has not surprised West CoastTasman MP Damien O’Connor. Three options are on the table, including digging a new tunnel.

The Greymouth Star reported not all options would cost an extra $12 million.

Pike River Recovery Minister Andrew Little was in Greymouth on Saturday to meet family representatives and get feedback on the three proposed reentry plans.

His office said yesterday the agency would now look at each option in much more detail, with the intention of reentering the drift late this year or early 2019.

Reentry plans involved searching the remaining unseen 400m of the stone drift (tunnel) that leads into the mine, for possible evidence of what went wrong in the 2010 explosion.

The bodies of 29 men who died in the explosions lie behind a massive rockfall near the end of the drift, blocking access.

Mr O’Connor said cost overruns seemed to be standard.

‘‘I think we would expect the job to be done properly. Clearly, there’s a huge amount of work going on. We have to trust the technical experts.’’

Mr Little said before he approved further exploring options he wanted the families to know where things stood.

Planning would now become thorough and finely detailed, looking at specific equipment sourcing and accurate costings.

He said both the Government and the families knew the recovery would be ‘‘complex’’.

Recovery agency chief executive Dave Gawn yesterday said original cost estimates were made before the agency was opened, before the technical workshops, and before staff had the opportunity to go through early budgets.

‘‘With far more information now at our disposal it is evident that there is likely to be an increase, but until the detailed work is done then trying to estimate that final cost is speculation only.’’