Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn said it was important to have accountability.
"No-one has gone out to kill anyone or cause an explosion, but at the end of the day it did happen. Somebody has to be accountable for something like this or otherwise how can we learn?"
"It's unfortunate, but that's the process."
Mr Kokshoorn hit out at the suppression orders relating to the charges, saying speculation was already running rife on the West Coast and parties not involved were getting caught up in it.
But lawyer for the families, Nicholas Davidson QC, doubted there would be any sense of satisfaction for the families.
Having people held accountable was secondary to finding out the full facts of what occurred at the mine last November, he said.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the mine tragedy is set to get underway again on Monday, with the latest phase exploring what happened at the mine.
"We hope (the charges) won't actually impede the commission and its work. We are determined the process will continue," Mr Davidson said.
He said an order was made in court to suppress details of anyone charged when the Department of Labour sought a time extension for its investigation into the mine tragedy.
- NZHERALD ONLINE