The families of those killed in a canyoning tragedy in the central North Island last year say wrong decisions were made when their children were taken on the fatal trip.
Six students and their teacher from Elim Christian College in Auckland died during flash flooding in the Mangatepopo Gorge on 15 April last year while attending the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre.
The centre announced on Thursday it intends to plead guilty to two charges laid by the Department of Labour.
The centre originally planned to defend the charges, but now says it wants to avoid lengthy delays.
Jennifer Fernandes, the mother of 16-year-old Floyd Fernandes, says there has to be accountability because something obviously went wrong.
Ms Fernandes says the children and their teacher should never have been taken to the river, and it took seven lives for the centre to realise its system had flaws.
Andy Bray, the father of 16-year-old Natasha Bray, says he has been asking why the group was allowed on the river when there was a nationwide storm warning.
John McLean, the father of teacher Tony McLean, says though it is helpful to find out the details of what happened, there is no closure.
Elim Christian College welcomed the centre's decision to plead guilty to charges.
It says though it supports accountability and has confidence in the legal system, the pain is huge and there will never be closure.
The school says it hopes the police investigation and Coroner's inquest can be completed much earlier than anticipated.
Centre to admit charges
The centre will plead guilty to charges of failing to protect the instructor who went into the gorge with the group, and failing to ensure the employees' actions did not expose others to avoidable risks.
The Department of Labour says two other charges have been withdrawn as it believes the guilty pleas adequately reflect the centre's culpability.
The court case is adjourned until a sentencing date is set. Both charges carry a maximum fine of $250,000.
The Mangetepopo Gorge remains closed.
