Following the liquidation of Pike River Coal , Solid Energy purchased the assets of the company . The government then purchased the 3580 ha of land around the Pike River Mine . The envirionment minister Nick Smith announced on 15 November 2015 that the 3,580 ha of land is to be added to the Park , and a 45 km walkway , the '' Pike 29 Memorial Track '' from Blackball to Punakaikai through the park constructed as a memorial to the 29 miners lost in the 2010 Pike River Mine disaster . . Most of the families of the victims approved , but there has been some criticism because Solid Energy decided in 2014 that it was too risky to re-enter the mine to recover any remains from the mine . The formation of the Track has been a catalyst for the emerging adventure sports community on the West Coast with events such as The Paparoa which features trail running and mountain biking over the track . THe event is based around the regions mining history and also celebrates the number of exceptional female adventure athletes the region has produced such as Casey Brown , Ruth Croft and Emily Miazga
Pike River Mine disaster
Pike River Mine disaster
Paparoa National Park