The Pike River Royal Commission has completed its hearings into the disaster which claimed the lives of 29 men in November 2010.
The final phase looked at policies in place at the time of the explosion and how these might be improved to prevent a repeat of the disaster.
A spokesman for the families of the victims, Bernie Monk, said the completion of the hearings represented a milestone in efforts to get to the bottom of what happened at Pike River.
But he says the fight continues for all of the families who are still desperate to see their men's bodies returned to them.
The Commissioners will now retire to consider the evidence given over the past 11 weeks, before presenting their recommendations to the Government.
These will include any changes they feel are necessary within the mining sector around health and safety.
