As reported here, passengers from Royal Caribbean International’s Ovation of the Seas were on a day trip to the island when the volcano erupted in December 2019.
Fines and reparation
Whakaari Management Limited, the company of White Island owners James, Andrew and Peter Buttle, was fined NZ$1.045m and is to pay total reparation of NZ$4.88m.
White Island Tours was fined NZ$517,000 and is to pay total reparation of NZ$5m.
Volcanic Air Safaris was fined NZ$506,000 and is to pay total reparation of NZ$330,000.
Helicopter companies Aerius and Kahu were fined NZ$290,000 and NZ$196,000 respectively.
GNS (Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences) that hired helicopter pilots to fly staff to the volcano for fieldwork, was fined NZ$54,000.
‘Heart-breaking’ stories
Judge Evangelos Thomas told the court victims’ stories had been ‘heartbreaking’ and said four years was far too long to wait for their voices to be heard.
Thomas, who has overseen the matter since late 2020 when charges were laid, said the court acknowledged the ongoing pain felt by survivors and the grief felt by the families of victims.
WorkSafe New Zealand argued that appropriate fines be imposed, even if the parties involved were not able to pay them.
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