SPEAKERS

In 2016 Anna and Sonya led the Stand With Pike campaign that eventually gained re-entry into the 2.3km mine drift and reopened the police investigation. This led to the recovery of substantial new evidence and was documented in the 2025 feature film, Pike River.

Together with fellow Pike River family member Rowdy Dubridge, Anna and Sonya worked with the Public Service Commission to co-design the commission’s Model Standard Te Mahi me ngā Mōrehu Working with survivors. This lays out the principles the public service must meet in its interactions with survivors of mass tragedies.

Anna and Sonya were appointed as Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the 2022. They were recognised for their services to the community and occupational health and safety, specifically for their tireless advocacy for truth and justice for the 29 men killed in Pike River.

They are currently engaged in efforts to strengthen health and safety law in Aotearoa New Zealand including a campaign for corporate manslaughter legislation to be enacted. They are also waiting on Crown Prosecutors to assess the evidence recovered by police through the course of the drift recovery. They expect prosecution of those responsible for the deaths of their loved ones and 27 other men nearly 16 years ago.