Overview

• A relative of tour guide Hayden Marshall-Inman told the court there are still unanswered questions for operators about risk assessments and post-eruption communications.
• Police, St John, Health New Zealand, Fire and Emergency and WorkSafe delivered opening statements outlining areas to examine, including resourcing in Whakatāne and communication delays.
• Police counsel said the inquest will review the decision not to return to the island after reports of no survivors, a call that left bodies unrecovered for a week.
• St John’s lawyer said the agency believes none of its actions adversely affected survivorship and will call medical and coordination witnesses, noting mass-casualty burns and an airport triage hub due to limited hospital capacity.
• Phase one is set to run for up to two months to reconstruct 9 December 2019 in detail, with later phases to probe regulatory oversight following earlier convictions of operators and GNS Science and the successful appeal by Whakaari Management Ltd.