Pike River families focus on the bodies

DEIDRE MUSSEN

A desperate plea has rung out to the nation from yesterday's emotional first anniversary of the Pike River coalmine disaster.

Speaker after speaker called for the 29 dead men's bodies to be returned home.

"Every last one," a family member called from the crowd as Ngati Waewae kaumatua Ben Hutana opened the service with a mihi and mentioned body recovery.

The sun shone as it did for the memorial service two tough weeks after the first fatal explosion last November 19 at the West Coast coalmine.

Again, the community turned out in large numbers, with more than 2000 flocking to Greymouth's Rugby Park to pay tribute alongside several hundred Pike family members. Grief remained as raw as a year ago for many and tears flowed freely.

A poignant reminder was the 29 blue miners' helmets and other personal touches on a table in front of the Pike River families.

Eerily, immediately after yesterday's two minutes' silence, which began at 3.44pm to mark the time of the first explosion, the sun went behind a cloud and a chill briefly descended before it returned.

But the mood was different than at the Omoto service last December 2.

The families and the community seemed more determined, more united.

They want action.

As spokesman for some of the Pike families, Bernie Monk, told the crowd: "Whatever happens here, we're going to fight right to the end till we get our guys out.

"We need the community's help on this and I ask for it today."

Monk, whose son, Michael, 23, was one of the 29 dead, asked the West Coast to keep supporting the Pike families to get through "this ordeal".

"Without your help, we would have never got through this year and it looks to me like it's going to be a long journey ahead," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

He told of visiting the mine yesterday morning and staring down its entrance, seeing his son's face.

"I offered a prayer for him and for all the other tragedies that we've had to put up with on the West Coast. The Brunner, the Strongman, the Pike and all the other people who have died in mine tragedies."

Monk called for the community to support the families and mining unions in their push to ensure such tragedies never happened again.

The crowd gave him a standing ovation at the end of his speech.

Archdeacon Tim Wallace said most first anniversaries marked a time of closure but that was not the case yesterday because there was "still unfinished business".

The Royal Commission, the police investigation, the Labour Department's prosecution and the mine's uncertain future were yet to be resolved, he said.

"But most importantly, the men who went underground this day a year ago are still there and for many, that means that you are unable to move forward in your grief. You're trapped, you're waiting agonisingly for the wheels of progress to turn and for uncertainty to end so that you can complete your duty of care for loved ones."

Wallace said the community had a "moral responsibility" to bring the men home and urged the powers-to-be to make that happen.

Archdeacon Richard Wallace agreed, saying: "We wait expectantly for the return of their remains so that we can give them the dignified farewell that they so richly deserve."

New Zealand's new governor-general, Sir Jerry Mateparae, said yesterday's anniversary was about reflecting on the events of last November 19.

"One year has passed since we lost those men. One year has passed since the families and communities those men belonged to had their lives changed forever. One year on and there remain many questions to be answered," Mateparae said.

"Today, we also remember that the 29 men still lie in the mine."

He said processes were under way to find out what happened and to learn lessons from, which would honour the men and give comfort and hope to their families.

Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn was frank with his words: "One year later, we have our 29 men still in the mountain. We never expected that."

He said there had to be accountability for what happened that dreadful day.

"We want closure. We want our men back."

Prime Minister John Key spoke briefly to read excerpts from Psalm 10 of the Bible.

Labour leader Phil Goff was on stage but did not address the crowd.

It was deeply poignant to listen to Tracy Cameron sing "Bensong", her moving tribute to her dead stepson, Benjamin Rockhouse, 21.

And Alisha Osborne, the teenage daughter of Grey District councillor Milton Osborne, who died in the mine, hauntingly sang "In the Arms of an Angel", accompanied by Carol Rose on guitar, mother of Stuart Mudge, who also was killed.

At the end of the service, family members, dignitaries and the public were invited to place a piece of coal, some dug from Pike River, into the back of a Chevy truck to symbolise letting go of some pain.

The truck was owned by one of the miners with "our 29" as its number plate.

Earlier yesterday morning, about 180 family and supporters went by bus to the mine in the Paparoa Range, about 46km northeast of Greymouth.

They laid wreaths and were driven to its entrance to peer into the dark tunnel.

Later, about 250 family and friends attended the private opening of a memorial garden at Atarau, near the turn-off to Pike River.

At 1.30pm yesterday, a granite stone memorial bearing the names of the 29 men entombed in the mine was unveiled in Greymouth by Key and former chief mines inspector Harry Bell.

The garden around it held 29 red roses and 29 white roses.

Bell was applauded by the families when he promised he "would not rest" until the bodies were recovered.

As Kokshoorn said: "This is a symbol of our men that are still lying up there in the mine."

- © Fairfax NZ News