Pike River: Preparations underway for national service

Candles burning at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Greymouth. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Preparations are well underway for a national service of remembrance for the 29 men who died in the Pike River Coal mine disaster -- a service that it is hoped will heal the hurt in the close-knit West Coast community.

Although the final programme has not been decided, some details of the service, to be held at Greymouth's Omoto race course on Thursday at 2pm, were revealed at a media briefing in the town today.

"The main purpose of it is for our local community," Archdeacon Robin Kingston, of Greymouth's Anglican Holy Trinity Church, said.

"They're the ones that are hurting most of all but the hurt has gone right across the nation ... right across the world."

Key speakers will be Prime Minister John Key, Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand, Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn, and Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall, who was the public face of the rescue operation.

Reverend Tim Mora, head of the Greymouth Ministers' Association, will lead the service, which is expected to take an hour.

International representation has not yet been confirmed.

Rev Kingston said that before the service there would be some musical items performed by kapa haka groups, bands and choirs.

All the performers would be West Coasters.

"There will be some tender moments ... but there'll also be some wonderful moments," he said.

There will be a grandstand seating 1000, filled with the families of the 29 men and other Pike River staff and their families.

Another grandstand would be brought in seating 1500, and organisers were trying to find another 500-seat grandstand.

It has been estimated as many as 7000 people may attend.

Large screens will be erected so everyone can see what is happening on the stage which will seat up to 18 people, and buses will be available to take people to the service.

There will be 29 tables representing each man who died in the mine.

Each will have a miner's helmet and the name of the person who died, along with various symbols including little stones and small pieces of fern.

Rev Kingston said the stone represented the solid rock tomb where the men's bodies lie at present. The fern represented the "beautiful setting" of the Pike River mine and also that life continued.

As he spoke, Rev Kingston's voice broke, and at times he seemed on the verge of tears.

Families were delighted with plans for the service, he said.

They would have the opportunity to decorate their loved ones' table with items such as possessions and photos. Every table would also have a military guard to make sure none of the items were taken, which was an issue that had concerned the families.

"Your table is your expression to the world of the person that you love," Rev Kingston told the families.

He said the families had also asked that media not take close-up photos of them at the service.

"The prayer and support expressed in this service is a demonstration of what needs to continue for the families, this community and the nation who wait for their men to be returned so that funerals can take place," Rev Kingston said.

- NZPA