Whakaari / White Island tourism companies charged with breaching health and safety laws have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funding since the tragedy.
Most of the money has come from a post-eruption business support package, announced by the Prime Minister, after WorkSafe and police investigations began.
A lawyer representing some of the Australian families says it's absolutely unfair.
Twenty-two people died and at least a dozen others were critically injured after the explosion on December 9, 2019.
Sam Olley reports.
