Survivors of volcano eruption return

Raoul Island after the eruption in March. Picture / John Funnell

Four Department of Conservation workers who lost a colleague during a volcanic eruption on Raoul Island are returning this week to complete the last six months of their contracts.

Department of Conservation (DOC) Warkworth area manager Rolien Elliot said the department had decided -- with advice from GNS Science -- it was safe to continue a work programme on the island outside the eruption zone.

"GNS Science has advised us the activity on or close to the island has declined significantly over the last two weeks and we consider our robust safety and evacuation plans will allow the team to safely continue their important work," he said.

Mark Kearney, 33, disappeared during a volcanic explosion on the island on March 17 and is believed to have died when a crater lake erupted as he was checking the water temperature.

The eruption flattened trees, threw boulders into the air, and buried the surrounding area in mud up to 5m deep.

Despite exhaustive searches by police and DOC staff, his body has not been found.

The four DOC staff, Evan Ward, Lynda McGrory-Ward, Melanie Nelson and Morgan Cox, will join the other survivor, Jim Livingstone, already on the island, to continue the weed programme, meteorological work and make sure island biosecurity isn't breached.

Jim Livingstone and two other rangers, Liz Whitwell and Shane McInnes have been on the island since the eruption, maintaining the DOC field station, as well as monitoring seismic and volcanic activity.

Mr McInnes and Ms Whitwell would hand over their duties to the incoming team and return to New Zealand.

Ms Elliot said having staff on the island was also important to gather data on seismic activity and lake levels to enable experts to monitor parameters that may indicate future volcanic activity and therefore enhance the safety of the Raoul programme.

"Safety of the staff is our top priority.

"Their work on the island will be restricted to the area outside the crater rim and caldera area, and lake level monitoring will continue to be done from the more distant viewpoint at Mount Moumoukai."

No attempt would be made at this stage to enter the eruption area where Mr Kearney went missing on the day of the March eruption, she said.

A four-month volunteer programme due to start on Raoul in May has been postponed.

Ms Elliot said the department's priority was to have a core team in place which had considerable knowledge and experience of the island.

- NZPA