Little to announce decision today on reentry to Pike River mine

WELLINGTON: Pike River ReEntry Minister Andrew Little will announce this morning whether a plan to go into the Pike River Mine will go ahead.

The announcement will be made at an event at Parliament.

Families were to be told of the Government’s decision last night.

Senior police staff arrived in Greymouth yesterday.

The Family Reference Group, which represents the majority of the families who lost loved ones in the West Coast mine disaster will be represented at the announcement, and independent adviser Rob Fyfe will also attend.

Mr Little received a report from the Pike River Recovery Agency late last month following nine months of work which identified three ‘‘safe and feasible’’ options to go into the drift.

The families of the 29 men killed in the disaster have been fighting for reentry in the hope the remains of their loved ones can be recov ered from the mine.

Next week marks the eighth anniversary of the 2010 disaster.

Mr Little said last month he would make a final decision on whether it was even feasible to reenter the drift after reading the report and receiving advice from Mr Fyfe.

Mr Little told a parliamentary committee in June it was possible reentry could be started by the end of this year if a decision to go in was made, but he pulled back from that in October.

‘‘I understand that [reentry this year] is looking less likely now and it would be the early part of next year,’’ he said.

Mr Little had been expected to go to Cabinet to ask for $10 million$15 million on top of the up to $23 million already budgeted for the recovery.

The three reentry options:

Drive a small tunnel to create a ventilation circuit.

Single entry, using existing main drift access tunnel as the sole means to ventilate the main drift. Single entry with a largediameter borehole. — NZME

❛ I understand that [reentry this year] is looking less likely now and it would be the early part of next year Andrew Little