The decision by the New Zealand Police to look further into the Pike River mine workings has been welcomed by Pike River family members.

Ten new boreholes will be drilled into the mine to allow police to gather more evidence by remote video.

For Pike River Widow, Anna Osborne, the news is welcome. “This is further confirmation of just how far the investigation into our men’s deaths has come.

“Seven years ago we were being told that all that could be done had been done and that we should ‘walk away’. We didn’t. We fought for the reentry of the mine’s drift and for the first borehole project and now we are getting closer to justice.

Sonya Rockhouse, whose son Ben died in the mine, agrees. “This is what we fought for. We did it for our men, but also for all New Zealanders. We weren’t going to let this become a country where 29 men can be killed at work with no accountability.

“The police have worked tirelessly on this investigation for several years now and we can only thank them for their commitment to justice and to truth.”

Rowdy Durbridge lost his boy Dan in the mine explosion. He says the news of further investigation is good. “The more we see of the inside of the mine the better, it’s going to take time but we’re used to that after all these years.

“Pike’s always been ‘hurry up and wait’ but it’s good to know the investigation is being done properly.”

Anna, Sonya, and Rowdy are members of the Stand With Pike Family Reference Group (the FRG) represents the majority of Pike River families in the fight for justice for the 29 men who died at Pike and the two who survived.

The FRG has also recently co-designed public service model standards that set out rules for how government agencies should work with survivors of tragedy.

By Stand With Pike