A new venture in Denniston allows visitors to step back 100 years to experience life in the coal mines, complete with ghostly visions and echoes of another era, writes Jim Eagles.

Tony Kokshoorn says authorities involved in the Pike River mine disaster have failed to communicate "from day one".

Police last night told families of the Pike River mine victims that there was a possibility rescuers had identified a body in the mine. There was also evidence that rescue boxes in the mine had been opened.

The centre will be named the West Coast Memorial Events Centre in memory of the Pike River and other mine disaster victims.

The Prime Minister says it's "disappointing" the Pike River Coal receivers have asked the Government for aid and that it is unlikely to pay their legal bill during the Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Cash-strapped company Pike River Coal Ltd says it can only afford a limited role in the Royal Commission of Inquiry.

Labour Department investigators are asking for more time to decide whether to prosecute over the fatal Pike River Mine explosions.

Australia may benefit from setting up a fund to collect extra revenue generated by high commodity prices and invest it overseas, a Reserve Bank of Australia research paper has shown.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River disaster will need more than 15 weeks to examine key issues, a families' spokesman says.

As the West Coast prepares for the visit of Prince William today, Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn reflects on the four tough months since the Pike River tragedy.

The inaction of Pike River mine receivers to venture into the mine has victims' families fearing the worst, says the father of one of the lost miners