Development West Coast training centre set to open mid year

25 March 2013

DWC training centre set to open mid year

Construction of the new Development West Coast Training Centre being built for the Mines Rescue Trust is well underway with the facility on target to open mid 2013.

Work on the purpose built training facility at Rapahoe began in January and New Zealand Mines Rescue Service General Manager Trevor Watts says there has been excellent progress.

“This is an exciting project for both the mining community and the West Coast and is a facility that will be here for years to come. Construction started in mid January and with the good weather the builders already have the framing up and trusses on so we are on target to open in June or July,” he says.

The DWC Training Centre is being financed by DWC through the Pike River Distribution Fund. DWC donated $1 million to the fund in the wake of the 2010 tragedy in which 29 men lost their lives. Fund administors allocated the money to the Mines Rescue Trust to establish a multi-purpose training facility.

DWC Trustee and Pike River Distribution Fund chairman, Mark Lockington, says the Trust saw it as an ideal project to assist both the mining industry and local economy.

“This training centre will be a valuable asset on the Coast now and in the future. While Mines Rescue will run it we would encourage other Coast businesses to make the most of the facility,” he says.

The 350sqm building includes three seminar rooms and office space as well as an underground training tunnel that allows for real life simulated training in limited visibility environments.

It will enable Mines Rescue to continue to provide high quality training in both underground and surface extraction as well as training for other industries that work in confined spaces, with breathing apparatus and in gas awareness and detection.

Despite recent high profile mine closures on the West Coast Trevor Watts says the industry is very positive about the new facility.

“There are still a lot of working mines on the Coast and as well as our core work for the mining industry we also provide external training for industries like drilling, dairying, construction, engineering and civil works. The industry is keen to be able to use the facility and it puts us in a strong position to meet their demands when mining does bounce back,” he says.

Construction of the DWC training facility is being undertaken by Greymouth company John Griffin Builders. They expect to complete the build by the end of May.

ENDS

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