Pike River families get acess road keys

The Government is moving forward with its promise to try to recover any remains of the 29 men who lost their lives in the Pike River explosion.

Yesterday, seven years on from the explosion, the minister responsible for Pike River Re-entry handed the keys to the mine access road to the Pike River families.

Today, Andrew Little takes his proposals on the Pike River Reentry Agency to Cabinet.

The Labour-NZ First coalition has committed to entering Pike River.

Reports showed that a manned re-entry was possible, Little said. However, if the Pike River Reentry Agency found it too risky, they wouldn’t go ahead.

Pike River families said safety caveats put on the promise were understandable.

‘‘We are the ones who placed safety at the top of our list of principles for re-entry and we are confident it can be done safely, and we have world-leading experts who believe it is the case.’’

The families said there was a chance that the risk assessment would uncover something they

"Long may this sort of transparency continue because as family members we will not give up or go away until this job has been finished." The Pike River families

didn’t know, but they believed that was unlikely.

‘‘On a personal note, Andrew Little has been incredibly supportive of us and continues to be. He’s instructed officials to work closely with us and they have.’’

The Government had given the families assurance they would be involved in the process. They would visit Wellington again tomorrow to help plan how the agency would work.

Family representatives met Little earlier this month, and have had two meetings with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Mbie) about reentry.

They said they ‘‘100 per cent’’ believed the Government would stick to its commitment.

‘‘Long may this sort of transparency continue because as family members we will not give up or go away until this job has been finished.’’

Sonya Rockhouse said the families and Government were all on the same page.

Rockhouse, whose son Ben died in the mine, said they expected the entry by mid-next year.

At the gate opening ceremony, Pike widow Anna Osborne said she felt things were progressing.

‘‘And we might actually get a bit of truth, justice and some closure for families.’’

Family representative Bernie Monk also thanked all those in New Zealand and around the world who had stood by the Pike River families.

He paid his respects to late union stalwart Helen Kelly, who helped the families with their fight for re-entry before her death.

Little said things had changed for the Pike families. ‘‘Sure, there has been a change of government but it’s a change of attitude by the Government as well.’’