Selected geotechnical and ventilation experts, Pike River Recovery Agency staff, Family Reference Group (FRG) representatives and others will gather at the NZ Mines Rescue Centre in Rapahoe, 10 minutes north of Greymouth, next week.  

panel of technical experts met in Greymouth at the start of May to initiate the creation of a concept plan for safe manned re-entry of the drift. The workshop being held on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 June at the New Zealand Mines Rescue facility in Rapahoe refines elements of the baseline concept plan being presented to Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-Entry Hon Andrew Little in June. The focus will be to plan more detail around boreholes - location, size and quantity required, and also around second means of egress options. Please note that the Minister’s Independent Advisor Rob Fyfe has indicated he will be attending this workshop. To contact Mr Fyfe, please get in touch with the Minister’s office.We do not intend to commission photographs for this event, and will be “snapping” shots using mobile phones. These can be made available on request.We will issue a media release at the conclusion of the workshop on Thursday 14 June, after 5pm.If you would like to speak to someone in particular, or would like to come to Rapahoe to interview those involved, please make contact as below and we will try and accommodate your requests. In case you didn’t see the media release we sent out last Friday, here’s the link to the news item on our website: https://www.pikeriverrecovery.govt.nz/news/pike-river-recovery-agency-plans-second-expert-workshop/.