Pike River supporters buoyed by Labour promises to re-enter mine

Some of the families of the 29 men who died in New Zealand's Pike River mine disaster nearly seven years ago have welcomed the new government's hope of returning their loved ones' bodies.

The victims, including two Australians, died after a series of methane explosion collapsed the roof, with the men's bodies believed to be at least 1500 metres from the mine's entrance.

The previous government considered it was too risky to send emergency workers back into the mine to retrieve the bodies and had planned to use exploration robots.

Labour, NZ First and the Greens, the parties that make up the new government announced on Thursday, support manned re-entry into the mine.

Spokesman for some of the families Bernie Monk says he has hope.

"We've got a voice now and manned re-entry is going to happen," Monk said on Friday.

"I'm ecstatic, to be honest. I've even had calls from (relatives) overseas who think it's great news."

During the election campaign Labour's deputy leader Kelvin Davis said a minister would be put in charge of re-entering the mine.

NZ First leader Winston Peters has always backed manned re-entry and once said he was prepared to be the first one in.

The families have been campaigning for it since the November 2010 explosions.

They believe there are intact bodies in the drift, the 2.3km tunnel that leads into the mine, and that evidence of what caused the blasts will be found.

"Getting down that drift is going to give some closure to the families," Monk said on Radio NZ.

"And one of the most important things is that we're going to get some justice and some accountability for what actually happened down there."