Kuhn said she had not noticed any activity coming from the volcano recently.
"It was like, woah, what's happening?"
A local fisherman, who didn't want to be named, was boating off the coast of Whakatāne this morning and said the activity at White Island was "as good as I've seen it for a while".
"There's no wind so it's just going straight up."
Whakaari/White Island this morning. Photo / Supplied
In the previous GeoNet volcanic activity bulletin on Whakaari/White Island posted on August 10, it was reported near real-time monitoring was lost with the failure of the last surviving seismometer and pressure sensor on the island. It continued to monitor via other, less-frequent methods.
"Since the December 9, 2019 eruption, the on-island network has not been serviced and power supplies, sensors and cameras have degraded or failed over time.
"Our near real-time capability has been largely reliant on the on-island earthquake and pressure sensors. The first of these failed in April 2021 and the second failed late last week.
"The loss of the second earthquake and pressure sensor reduces our ability to closely monitor the volcano in near real-time. Until we are able to service our on-island equipment and power supplies, we will be increasing the frequency of our gas and observation flights to the island."
Whakaari/White Island erupted on December 9, 2019, while 47 people were on the island. Twenty-two died and survivors were left with severe or critical injuries.
Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little yesterday announced new expectations for government agencies to better support families and communities affected by future national disasters, like the eruption.
The Working With Survivors Model Standards were co-authored by the Stand With Pike Families Reference Group (FRG) and Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission.
Whakaari/White Island in 2019. Photo / George Novak
In partnership, the FRG led consultation with survivors of other national disasters, while the commission led consultation with public service agencies, police and Victim Support.
"Following the 2010 explosion, the Pike River survivors felt let down by the state," Little said. "They say it would have made the biggest difference if agencies had empowered survivors, were upfront and had worked together for the benefit of all current and future survivors. That is what the new expectations seek to do.
"It means following and supporting the journey survivors go through. In the immediate aftermath, it's about the necessities of life and reuniting loved ones. Next, it's helping with the adjustment to the new normal. Finally, it's getting to the bottom of what happened, learning from it, and promoting healing.
"A fundamental purpose of the completed Pike River re-entry project was to give the survivors closure and promote accountability. That required every part of the project to be conducted in partnership with the FRG and the families. This new approach was the genesis of the expectations, and the same partnership model was used for their creation."
Little said FRG wanted to give back to New Zealanders for their support and by leading the work to create the new expectations, FRG had laid the foundation for better support for survivors and families who experience future tragedies.
The new expectations were the first step towards continual improvement. They will be updated as survivors and public service agencies share their experiences and ideas.
