Reporting dates for Royal Commissions extended

5:00 pm on 7 February 2012

The reporting dates for the Pike River and Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commissions have been extended.

The Governor-General, acting on the advice of Cabinet, has extended the report date of the Pike River Royal Commission from the end of March until 28 September.

That Royal Commission is investigating the explosions at the Pike River Coal mine on the West Coast in November 2010 in which 29 men died.

Attorney-General Chris Finlayson says the request for an extension was made by the Pike River Commissioners.

He says the families and the community will have answers to what happened at the mine before the end of the year.

And the Governor-General has extended the reporting date for the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission from April this year to mid-November.

Mr Finlayson says, again, the extension was at the request of the Commissioners.

In a news release, he says the Royal Commission's report on the earthquakes will now be delivered in parts with the first, dealing with matters that will inform decision-making on rebuilding and repair work, being provided by 29 June.

The final date for reporting will be 12 November, with the exact timing of delivery to be determined by the Royal Commission.

Mr Finlayson says the decision to release the report in parts will allow the fullest examination of important issues while allowing the rebuild of Christchurch to proceed without unnecessary delay.