10th anniversary of disaster to be marked
AFTER walking a ‘‘long and torturous’’ road for the past decade, the Pike River families and West Coast community are preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of the mine disaster.
Twentynine men died underground in the foothills of the Paparoa Range when the mine exploded at 3.44pm on November 19, 2010.
Only two of those underground at the time survived the blast.
The days that followed were filled by false hope, then despair. The Pike River Coal Company went into liquidation, and was later sold to the former
Stateowned miner Solid Energy, which rejected a reentry proposal and started to seal off the mine.
After families led by Anna Osborne occupied the road to the mine, the LabourGreen coalition Government agreed to a reentry — a $51 million taxpayerfunded exercise which is due to draw to a close at the end of this year.
For the 10th anniversary, some families will mark the day in Wellington, and others quietly with a visit to the mine site away from the attentions of the media.
The public will have the chance to attend the annual service at 5.30pm at Blackball,
Mrs Osborne said.
Paul Maunder, for the Blackball organisers, said they had asked that one of the victims’ children speak at the service.
Greymouth Mayor Tania Gibson will be in Wellington on November 19 for a day of meetings, and she will attend the service there.
West CoastTasman MP Damien O'Connor said he had not yet decided if he would attend the Wellington or Blackball event.
He described the decade since the tragedy as a ‘‘long and torturous process’’ for the families.
Former mayor Tony Kokshoorn said the 10th anniversary was a defining moment.
‘‘Ten years later, we are about to finalise the reentry. Everyone is agreeing now, we can't go past the big rockfall. That will be final. The 29 men are all behind that, and together. A lot of the families are ready to accept they will be together in the mine.’’
It had been a difficult decade, with nobody held to account, he said.