Solid Energy, owner of the Pike River mine, has reiterated that it is illegal for protesters to block the access road to the site, as the landowner has now withdrawn his permission for it to be used.
The energy company said on December 17 that it had spoken with a landowner who had reportedly given the protesters permission to be on part of the road, and that he had rescinded that permission.
However, Solid Energy said again in a statement this evening that it has now written to the protesters to draw their attention to "the legal agreements that confirm the company has full rights of access."
"As a result of these agreements there is no basis for the protest group to prevent Solid Energy from accessing the Pike River Mine along the piece of road at issue," the statement reads.
"This has been acknowledged by the landowner, who has advised the protesters that blocking the road is illegal and withdrawn permission for them to occupy the land."
Solid Energy called for the protesters to end their occupation of the site to remain within the law, and to remove gates it says they have erected there to block access.
A violent gas explosion within the mine killed 29 men on November 16 in 2010 and their bodies have not been recovered.
Several people supporting the families of those who died in the mine have been occupying part of the access road since November 12, stopping Solid Energy from moving in to seal the mine with 20m of concrete - with the miners' bodies inside.
The protesters are calling on Solid Energy to delay the sealing of the mine until the entrance tunnel is explored, and they have also made a trip to parliament to ask the government to reconsider allowing Solid Energy to proceed with the sealing.
Some protesters have reportedly been at the site for the full 39 days of the protest.
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