Next steps for Pike River

The Government has taken steps towards meeting its election pledge of conducting a manned recovery of the Pike River mine, a move welcomed by nearly all of the families affected by the West Coast tragedy.

Some families remain unconvinced about the benefits of disturbing the remains of their husbands, fathers or sons, but Pike River family spokesman Bernie Monk is a very persuasive man.

Before the election, both Labour and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters provided the families with hope of a recovery of any remains left after the violent explosions in the mine in 2010, when 29 people died.

There has been much speculation about whether anyone could have survived the first blast. Suggestions have been made some of the mine workers were far enough away from the initial blast to have survived until the next blast took their lives.

The Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry, Andrew Little, has much invested in the project. He was formerly the secretary of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union and will have had contact with people involved with the mine.

Mr Little is crucial to any success of a manned recovery. He has now announced the establishment of a stand-alone government department, the Pike River Recovery Agency, Te Kahui Whakamana Rua Tekau ma Iwa.

The new agency will make sure the families and their experts are listened to, respected and included. Mr Little says it is crucial to make every effort to recover the drift so it can be comprehensively investigated.

The new agency will be a government department, headed by a chief executive who will report to Mr Little.

The agency will have funding of nearly $7.7 million a year, or up to $23 million over three years - including up to $4 million of existing funding.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, while committing to the families to do everything possible within the Government's power to attempt re-entry, has introduced a clause of protection.

If there is information the Government is not aware of, or expert advice countering advice the families had, the Government will work through it with them.

This is a significant change from where Labour was before the election, when it was suggested health and safety laws may be changed to help with the re-entry.

The Government now knows it cannot waive health and safety laws, rush or force a re-entry.

So far, the Government has not said who will bear the responsibility if someone gets hurt in the re-entry, although someone will have to step up. Family members seem to be softening their stance on the re-entry, agreeing no-one should be put at risk.

As this newspaper has indicated before, the mine is already a memorial to those men who died in the explosion. The former National-led government also investigated the risks of re-entry and decided some were insurmountable. For its efforts, National received criticism from Pike River families, along with Labour and NZ First.

Labour, United Future, the Maori Party and the Greens signed an agreement with families in August to re-enter the mine.

Mr Peters is strangely absent in the latest discussions. Re-entry was one of his bottom lines in coalition negotiations, a position National would have taken up, if given a chance.

Ms Ardern talks about closure for the families, but, in reality, New Zealand needs closure. The situation regarding roles of directors and executives in the running of the mine has never been fully disclosed and is now unlikely to be. Inquiries have been held, money has been paid, but Pike River still remains much of a mystery to interested parties.

Taxpayers have every right to ask if spending $23 million for another investigation of the mine is money well spent, particularly when the Government has so many caveats in place.