Inquiry will look at cause, emergency response

John Key (centre), along with Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn (left) and Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee, speak at a press conference in Greymouth. Photo / Getty Images

A royal commission of inquiry into the Pike River disaster will look at the causes of the explosion and the initial response by rescuers.

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday the inquiry would be a royal commission, instead of the initially proposed commission of inquiry.

Although commissions of inquiry are usually used for disasters, Mr Key said on the Q&A television show he decided on a royal commission instead to show how seriously the government took the issue.

The miners' union, the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), had also asked for a royal commission.

Royal commissions are seen as being the highest status of inquiry, although there are no differences in the powers held by the two types of inquiry.

"I think it's a demonstration to the 29 families that we are taking this inquiry absolutely seriously, that we are determined to get answers for those families," Mr Key said.

Cabinet is expected to approve the proposal today.

Mr Key said its terms of reference would be broad and were likely to include both the causes of the disaster and the initial response of rescuers.

He said it was still not known what caused the blast.

"But what I do know is that those very hard questions have to be asked and answered. Because in the end the future of Pike River and underground coal mining in New Zealand rests on this.

The commission of three will be led by a High Court judge, and is likely to include a mining industry expert from Australia.

The EPMU has asked for an expert in work rights and workplace health and safety to be the third commissioner.

The hearings are likely to be in Greymouth.

Department of Internal Affairs guidelines state inquiries into disasters should be held in a centre close to the scene to allow attendance by families and friends of those affected.

Mr Key said the inquiry could take months, but could be slowed down while other inquiries went on.

As well as a coronial inquiry, the Department of Labour, police, and Pike River all had inquiries in progress.

Mr Key said it was possible legal action would follow from those inquiries, such as police laying charges.

He did not expect the mine to reopen until the reasons for the disaster were known.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said the union requested a royal commission because of the higher status it was considered to have.

Mr Little said the union would appear before the commission, and expected to call its own expert evidence.

It was setting up a full legal team team for the inquiry, and he expected the union to represent the interests of miners and their families, regardless of whether the miners were union members or not.

Under the rules for commissions of inquiry, the commission itself may summons witnesses, and must also hear from people with an interest in the inquiry who request to be heard.

Labour leader Phil Goff agreed that somebody with the status of a High Court judge should head the commission, saying it was important to have somebody with the necessary expertise as well as independence.

He also agreed that bringing in an international mining industry expert was important because such a person would not be associated with the New Zealand industry.