An image provided by visitor Michael Schade shows White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, 09 December 2019. Photo by Michael Schade/EPA-EFE
New Zealand’s High Court on Friday overturned the conviction against Whakaari Management Limited, the owner of the Whakaari/White Island volcano that erupted in 2019, killing dozens.
Justice Simon Moore said while Whakaari Management Limited owned the land, it did not manage or control the island off the coast of Whakatane. The management company is made up of the brothers’ team of Andrew, James, and Peter Buttle. Advertisement
They had been fined $1.045 million and ordered to pay $4.88 million in reparations to the victims in their original trial. The volcano explosion killed 22 and seriously injured 25. The victims were mostly international tourists and tour guides.
The High Court said others owned the walking tours, including the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences. The island was under Alert Level 2 status, moderate to heightened volcanic unrest, when it erupted.
WorkSafe NZ leveled charges against 13 parties, including Whkaari Management in connection with the deaths and injuries caused by the explosion. Charges against the others individually were dropped in 2023 before the final decision against the management company was made.
The brothers’ grandfather first purchased the island in the 1930s and placed it in a family trust. It remains one of the few privately-owned islands that is part of New Zealand. Advertisement
