The Pike River mine will not be handed over to receivers while the operation to recover the bodies of the 29 workers continues, police say.

Families of the 29 miners who died at Pike River Coal mine have been given a chance to spend Christmas near the bodies of their loved ones after police offered to take them to the mine on December 25.

A 20-tonne nitrogen generator has arrived to aid the operation to recover 29 bodies from Pike River Coal mine.

As a new machine arrives to help recovery efforts at Pike River, receivers say they may not be able to claim a full $100m insurance payout to reimburse creditors of Pike River Coal.

The Govt is considering fast tracking the expansion of coal mining operations on the West Coast.

The Government has agreed to work on an economic stimulus package for the West Coast.

As many as 30 per cent of the notes, printed at a cost of roughly $120m, have been left with a blank strip on their face.

In the wake of the Pike River tragedy, PhD student Jesse Dykstra blogs on the mining industry and the associated risks

Pike River Coal's board is to meet tomorrow to talk about options for the company's future.

Dairy prices have slipped at Fonterra's overnight online auction, with the globalDairyTrade index down 2.5 per cent.