A West Coast trust will donate $1 million to a new mine training facility, following the Pike River mine tragedy which claimed the lives of 29 men.
Development West Coast's (DWC) donation, made to the Pike River Distribution Fund following the mining disaster in November 2010, will go to the Mines Rescue Trust to build a multi-purpose training facility at its Rapahoe base, near Greymouth.
Pike River Distribution Fund chairman and DWC trustee Mark Lockington says the trust believes the training centre will have enduring benefits for the West Coast, and recognises the severity of the disaster.
"This is a meaningful way we can assist the mining industry and the local economy," he says.
The Pike River Distribution Fund received more than $7 million in donations and pledges following the disaster.
Mines Rescue Service general manager Trevor Watts says it is hoped construction will begin in early 2012, with the donation to cover much of the construction cost.
The centre will be available for training workers from "all sectors of the extractive industries", he says.
Mines Rescue currently operates a small training facility at Rapahoe, which includes an underground training tunnel.
It's hoped the new facility will include a virtual reality training theatre, where miners can experience real-life dangers in a controlled environment.
Similar technology is used in training in Australia.
NZN