The Department of Conservation is aiming to fully install a memorial for the Pike River 29 this year. Photo / NZME
A memorial for the 29 men who died in the Pike River mine disaster has been pushed back to later this year, and a visitor centre has been put on hold.
The Department of Conservation is proposing to have the memorial fully installed a week prior to this year’s anniversary of the 2010 disaster on November 19.
A prior report from RNZ noted the permanent memorial would be complete by the end of summer. The agency has since put a later date of completion forward as its target.
When questioned about this, the Department of Conservation said the project was not delayed as such, but the timeframe has been revised over the project to allow time to design the pavilion and site interpretation with Pike River families.
“Ensuring we get this right has been a key focus,” the agency added.
“Critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, security, power and communications have all been worked on over the last 18 months to ensure the site is safe for the public when access is established.”
A request for proposal (RFP) document on the final pieces of the memorial noted there had been ongoing work between the department and Pike River families.
It said the agency had been working side by side with families since 2015 on various projects including the Paparoa Great Walk and the Pike29 Memorial Track.
Families of the victims continue to be consulted as final design ideas for the memorial take shape.
Department of Conservation (DoC) western South Island operations director Owen Kilgour confirmed the agency is planning to have the work done for the anniversary of the disaster.
“DoC has a strong working relationship with the working group of the Pike River Families Group Committee on the interpretation brief, and will continue to do this through the delivery phase of the project.”
A supplier brief, also prepared by the conservation authority, said a visitor centre was not achievable at the site at this stage. It further stated until it is able to come to fruition, “the Pike River Mine tragedy story will be told using various stopping points along the Pike River Road concluding at the Pike River Mine portal”.
The intention for a visitor centre is further discussed in proposal design documents.
“The original Pike Families interpretation workshops were completed under the assumption that the visitor centre would be the primary location for storytelling. At this stage, the visitor centre is on hold so the original approach to interpretation has been adapted to the site as it is currently,” the brief read.
Construction of the Mine Portal Pavilion memorial commenced following “extensive consultation” with impacted families, as the agency is looking to progress the “final part of the project”.
It is intended the site where the disaster took place will remain “as authentic as possible”.
The Department of Conservation is unable to confirm the budget for the memorial, as the tender to deliver the infrastructure was a competitive process.
Telling the Pike River Mine story “in the place where the tragedy occurred” is the main focus of the conservation agency’s work at the site.
Achieving a visitor experience that is “truthful, honest and empathetic” that also “coherently weaves together the facts with the stories of the men killed” are listed as the Department of Conservation’s goals for the commemoration site.
In the DoC statement, Kilgour also said the main story medium of the memorial will be interpretation panels at various sites between the entry to Logburn Rd and the Pike River Mine Portal.
“While concepts have been developed about how the panels may look and these have been accepted by the families committee, these are concept ideas at this stage and will be finalised by a designer,” Kilgour added.
Learning objectives for visitors have also been described, with an intention for those accessing the site to learn key elements that caused the tragedy and the truth of the aftermath. The design also aims to foster a connection to the story and have visitors learn more about the families who loved the men who never came home from work that day.
The significance of the disaster is paramount to the memorial, as described in the RFP letter.
“The tragedy that occurred at Pike River stopped a nation in its tracks and garnered international attention and as post tragedy events unfolded it became apparent that these deaths were entirely preventable. It is important not only for the Pike River Families but for all New Zealanders that the story of Pike River is told so the lessons so hard won will never be forgotten,” the document stated.
The proposed design, as noted in the supplier brief, includes the intention for 29 silhouettes of miners to be present at the site, representing those who died.
Poems and other verses could also be interwoven throughout the memorial panels.
Families of those who died stated their intention that any money generated as a result of the tragedy should be funnelled back into the West Coast community.
Businesses considering work on the memorial site are being encouraged to use local suppliers wherever possible, to respect the wishes of Pike River families.
Alongside families of victims, the Department of Conservation has also conducted extensive consultation with mana whenua, who are responsible for the White Knight Stream, close to the Pike River memorial.
The Department of Conservation intends for hapū to have a presence at the disaster site, but for the primary focus to be around familial wishes of those connected to the tragedy.
The proposed timeline suggests a contract to deliver the finishing touches of the memorial is expected to start in April.
It is proposed all design aspects are installed a week prior to November 19, 2026 – the anniversary of the tragedy.
Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.