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The widow of a coalminer swept to his death amid negligence by the mine owner is vowing to block efforts to reopen the mine.
Valma McGowan was angry yesterday after being awarded just $50,000 in reparation, plus $4800 for funeral costs, at the court sentencing of those who
contributed to her husband's death at the Black Reef Mine, near Greymouth, in 2006.
Robert McGowan, 39, was killed when a flooded area of old mines burst open and unleashed a torrent of water and rock into the area where he and his manager, Gary Haddow, were working.
Haddow survived by hanging on to a peg dug into the mine wall for about 40 minutes until the floodwaters receded, and was among those later found guilty of not taking all practicable steps to ensure safety.
Haddow, Black Reef Mine Ltd and a geologist who cannot be named were yesterday ordered by Judge James Weir to pay a total of $22,000 in fines, on top of the reparation to Mrs McGowan.
The judge told Mrs McGowan: "I hope in the fullness of time you'll be able to get over this tragedy."
She replied bluntly: "I doubt it very much."
Outside court, Mrs McGowan said she felt a much greater sum of reparation was required to compensate for her loss. Each party convicted could have been fined up to $250,000.
"The money would have definitely helped because we are struggling, I'm not too ashamed to admit that. These people have to live with themselves and I hope they don't sleep at night."
Black Reef Mine director Shane Bocock told the court he had been seeking either to hire a new manager and get the mine operating again, or to sell it. All of his efforts had so far proven unsuccessful.
Mrs McGowan said: "I will do everything in my power to see Black Reef Mine never reopens. A guy bought a mine with no experience, and somebody dies, and he gets a slap on the hand for it."
Mrs McGowan has campaigned for improvements in mining safety since her husband's death. "There's shortcuts taken in mining every day, and peoples' lives are at risk.
"Every time somebody else dies it affects my family ... and we have to go through it all over again."
Department of Labour prosecutor Michael Hargreaves said the company and two men convicted should have taken steps to stop the tragedy occurring, and should have known the risks.
"There was real potential for this to have been a double or triple fatality."
Haddow had been reliant on ACC for nine months after the accident and "the effect on him and his family of a modest fine will be great", said his lawyer, Jeff McCall.
Mr Bocock said his company carried no insurance for a tragedy of this type and the company had already paid out $10,000 to Mrs McGowan.
Since being found guilty, the geologist had fired his lawyer and is planning to appeal his conviction.
He is also appealing in an effort to keep his name suppression.
Meanwhile, police have reopened a criminal investigation into Mr McGowan's death.
