Experts and families of the workers killed in the Pike River mine say they feel let down by those who handled the aftermath of the explosions, but are unsure whether to keep fighting for re-entry.
The entrance to the Pike River Coal mine in November 2010. Photo: REUTERS
It is four years today since a series of blasts in the underground coal mine on the West Coast killed 29 men, and where they have remained.
Solid Energy announced about a fortnight ago that it would not re-enter the drift at the same time as the Government announced plans to turn the site into a conservation estate.
Bernie Monk: system has let families and the workers down. Photo: RNZ / Patrick Phelps
Bernie Monk, who lost his son Michael in the disaster, has been a spokesperson for some of the victims' families and the face of the effort to re-enter the mine.
Mr Monk said he never doubted that it could be re-entered, but it had been four years and it was probably time for the families to move on. However, he believed the system has let them and the men killed down.
"Here we are, with government departments saying it can be done. And here we are, we've got a bankrupt firm - nearly - saying it can't be done. And all the ministers, and all the CEOs, and everyone else I've had to deal with ... they can't even run their company properly ... and they're in financial difficulties.
"How the hang can we expect them to do a recovery when they can't even run their company properly?"
Mr Monk said state-owned Solid Energy pulled the wool over the families' eyes, and even now were not consulting them about the removal of infrastructure at the mine to see if they are okay with what is being done.
Bob Stevenson, an expert who has been advising the families, said Solid Energy always indicated it would not make a final decision until it heard what they had to say. He said he was under the impression that a decision would be made a day before it was announced, but looking back that wasn't the case.
Flowers left at a statue of a miner near Pike River at the time of the diaster. Photo: AFP
"While they were takling to us, they had already started stripping out equipment at the mine. So, in hindsight, they weren't being upfront with us. All appearances are they had already made up their minds, and they had already put in place ... to strip out and cut costs - while they were still talking to us, making these promises."
Solid Energy said the equipment removed from the site was on hire and desperately needed at another mine - but if it was required at Pike River it would have been returned.
Government has failed me - father
A lawyer for the families, Colin Smith, said the decision had been made and the families must move on, though that would not happen instantly.
"It's very difficult investing four years of your life, fighting the fight we have, until this point. It's not like a light switch - you can't turn it off or turn a tap off.
"There's a lot of emotional involvement, there's a lot of personal involvement, there's a lot of physical involvement. And so, for some family members, who've been at the forefront of the battle, it is going to take time."
Laurie Drew's son, Zen Drew, died in the mine. He said he would battle on for re-entry and while not happy with Solid Energy, he believed that on the whole it was the Government that had failed him.
"It was the Government that stepped up to the mark at the beginning. Just because Solid Energy were the ones who were given the mine licence, it's still up to the Government to look after and bring its workers home, which it's definitely failed to do."
Nick Smith, the acting Conservation Minister for Pike River matters, would visit the mine entrance with the families today to lay a wreath. The families planned to hold private commemorations.
