Pike River Coal

The former chief executive of the Pike River Mine, Gordon Ward, has broken his silence on the disaster, but still hasn't explained why he would not appear at the Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Police and former Pike River managers Neville Rockhouse and Doug White are three of 15 groups preparing to have a say before the Pike River Royal Commission holds its final hearings next week in Greymouth.

Pike River Coal contractors pushing for the company to be put into liquidation should tread carefully, Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn says.

Family members of the 29 men killed in the Pike River Coal mine disaster say they will not accept receivers putting a dollar value on getting their men out.

The receivers of Pike River Coal say unsecured creditors owed more than $31 million - including $15 million to tradesmen and almost $3 million to employees - are "unlikely" to be paid.

There's a "strong possibility" Pike River Coal mine contractors will never receive money owed to them, a receiver says.

About 200,000 share trades in Pike River Coal stock were reversed yesterday after the New Zealand stock exchange closed for the 2pm memorial service for the missing 29 miners but inadvertently, the Pike stock was allowed to come off a 13-day trading halt.

Pike River Coal is having to look for more money to pay for the development of its West Coast coal mine.