Solid Energy has reiterated its decision not to re-enter the Pike River mine on day 23 of the protests, while the mother of one victim says she wants her son to remain undisturbed.
West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor was on site this morning in a show of support, while a
reporter from the British-based Guardian newspaper was also there.
"I can pass on the messages of support I get every day from around the country," Mr O'Connor said.
There were up to 40 protesters including several contractors in support. For the second day, Solid Energy staff did not show during the morning picket.
Bernie Monk said they believed most of the families supported the re-entry.
Christchurch woman Marion Curtin told the Press today not all families shared the views or condoned the actions of those who were the most vocal.
Her son Richard Holling was among the Pike River victims.
"I want my son to remain undisturbed," she told the paper. "We have never wanted re-entry into the mine for reasons of safety and cost, let alone sacrilege and futility. His remains are there, his spirit is not."
The relentless push and strident talk by some families and supporters for re-entry into the drift only compounded the grief and distress for others, she said.
Mr Monk said the families had been surveyed, bar the ones overseas. Apart from Ms Curtin all were supportive. They contacted over 20 families, he said.
The parents of Scot Malcolm Campbell told British press a few weeks ago they supported the re-entry
"We respect her feelings."
Meanwhile Solid Energy has penned an open letter listing what it says are the incorrect claims made.
It has rejected claims a "quick" inspection of the 2.3km drift, or entry shaft, is safe, that it is not listening to families' experts, talking to the families and acting with indecent haste.
It also labelled the idea the mine was being sealed because it had something to hide or was colluding with the government in a cover-up plot as "incorrect and farcical".
"We're not going to change our course of action simply because of the opinions of poorly informed commentators," the directors said.
"It is reckless of those who are not in possession of the full facts, and have no legal responsibility for the lives of those who would be put at risk, to claim otherwise."
Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith said on tv yesterday he had received a one-page letter from one of the family experts saying a re-entry might be possible, compared to nine reports of 650 pages at a cost of $5 million which said it could not be done.
Mr Monk said they were working on getting a report together.
In other developments, Pike widow Anna Osborne is urging Milburn Cement (Holcim) not to do the sealing job.
The Council of Trade Unions is raising funds to help bring the campaign up to Wellington next week to ask the new Prime Minister to stop the sealing.
National Party leader candidate Judith Collins said today the Pike re-entry should not happen.
Holcim said in a statement it was not supplying concrete for the Pike sealing.
As a supplier of cement (the binding agent for concrete) it did not manufacture or supply concrete itself.
"Our product is sold to a range of concrete producers and we do not have oversight over how or where they supply.
"The West Coast community had been a critical part of Holcim's history and the company would not knowingly carry out any business transaction that would be to the detriment of the community's wellbeing. "
- Greymouth Star
- additional reporting NZME
