The family of Ben Rockhouse, who died in the Pike mine, have praised the 'selflessness and generosity' of the people of NZ.

Pike River Coal's receivers say it could take up to four months to re-enter the mine in which 29 workers died in an explosion last month. Receivers PricewaterhouseCooper (PWC) today presented a draft plan for re-entry.

The Coronial Inquest into the deaths of 29 men in the Pike River Coal mine will be held early next year, the chief coroner Judge MacLean says.

On Friday the 19th November I discovered my brother Conrad Adams was one of the 29 men who were inside the Pike River mine.

Families of the men killed in the Pike River mine will be getting immediate financial relief to get them through Christmas.

West Coast butcher Peter Lamont will spend a minimum of 14-and-a-half years behind bars after being imprisoned for life for murdering his wife Lindsay in their Ikamatua home last year.

A grieving father and spokesman for families of the 29 men killed in the Pike River Coal mine says he's "gutted" for the Pike River workers made redundant after the company went into receivership.

Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn is calling for Pike River to be made into an opencast coal mine, amid efforts to keep the 114 skilled miners made redundant today on the West Coast.

The families of the 29 workers who died in the Pike River mine are calling on the Govt to fund the recovery operation.

The Warriors and Newcastle Knights will play a charity match in Greymouth to raise funds - and spirits - on the West Coast.

Police hope to cap the vent shaft at Pike River mine tomorrow after weather conditions at the site prevented the operation from going ahead today.

The majority of miners remaining at Pike River Coal mine look set to lose their jobs, as officials today told workers they were going to proceed with redundancies three weeks after a series of explosions killed 29 workers inside the mine.

The fire which has been raging for days at the Pike River Coal mine is definitely out, say Australians brought in to operate the GAG jet unit which has been pumping carbon dioxide into the mine.

Pike River Coal will have to reduce its workforce when it is ready to re-establish operations, but CEO Peter Whittall says reports of possible receivership were "extremely premature".