Bereaved families in Greymouth say they do not blame Department of Labour mining inspectors for failing to monitor the Pike River coal mine before its devastating explosions in 2010.
This is despite strong criticism of the department's only inspector during cross-examination at the Royal Commission which is investigating the disaster that killed 29 men.
A day-and-a-half of questioning of Department of Labour inspector Michael Firmin included suggestions he was unhappy with several aspects of the Pike River mine, including its ventilation and available exits in an emergency, but did not do enough about it.
But a spokesperson for the families, Bernie Monk, says the department should be blamed, not its inspectors whom, he suggests, the department "hung out to dry".
Mr Monk says the department was underfunded, preventing staff like Mr Firmin from getting the training they felt they needed.
"Even today he stated that he asked for funding to be able to do courses which would have upgraded his knowledge on mining and he was refused it."
Mr Monk says mining is a multi-million dollar industry and funding should not have been withheld
Three-monthly inspections not enough
During cross-examination on Tuesday, Mr Firmin conceded that three-monthly visits to coal mines could not achieve his goals and talked of the advantages of holding unannounced visits to mines.
He said he had managed to make only one such visit since realising the inadequacy of the planned visits and that had been to a mine run by Solid Energy.
Mr Firmin said the unannounced visit was opposed by the company because it had to get its mine manager out from underground without warning.
He told the Royal Commission, however, that by arriving unannounced he was free to
to talk with the men without managers present and he had gained some good information from the health and safety representative.
Questioned by counsel for the Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union, Nigel Hampton QC, Mr Firmin said there is a process in train to change the inspection system, but it is not yet in place.
Questions touch on financial pressure on Pike
Mr Firmin was also questioned by Nicholas Davidson QC, representing the bereaved families, about the financial pressure Pike River was under.
He said he had become aware that there was some financial pressure but it did not figure in his daily work.
Mr Firmin said he was mainly concerned with things like tunnels and working systems.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Firmin was cross-examined by the lawyer representing contracting company McConnell Dowell, which built the mine's access tunnel.
Grant Nicholson asked Mr Firmin about evidence that 10% of bolts driven into the rockface at the mine were faulty.
Mr Firmin agreed with Mr Nicholson that evidence from mine manager Peter Whittall showed that problem was dealt with and that the company's work was prudent.
