Two million dollars worth of aircraft is an insane amount of money, I’m genuinely amazed by this.
I’m also surprised! They charged $4k-7k per trip, did at least 6, and got a $22k fine. When they forfeited the helicopters, does that mean they are being fined another $2m in assets? Seems out of proportion to what you’d expect, even though it was clearly deliberate and they kept going despite being warned to stop.
The hotel charged the punters, and got a small fine of $22k.
The helicopter company is the one that has to forfeit the helicopters.
It seems too me, the main issue here is the continued offending after they were warned to stop… That is just idiocy of the highest order.
Ah I didn’t get that they were teo different companies. Probably makes sense, the hotel wasn’t running the trips I guess. But they got a fine because they know it was illegal.
I think the hotel should have gotten a much larger fine. As they were the ones doing the organising… But all involved are stupid, keeping it going after a warning, unbelievable.
I think it feels over the top because we normally only hear of weak as fuck fines for environmental/fisheries offending. In this case a small company got the book thrown at them, I have doubts that a company like Talleys would ever see a fine like this. They would be in the Ministry for Primary Industries office and lobbying away before anything happen.
I am at least hopeful that something could happen now.
It can and has happened to Talleys.
