Survivors, families of the dead and first responders will today fill Whakatāne's Mataatua Marae on the one-year anniversary of the White Island/Whakaari eruption.

At 2.11pm on December 9 last year, the volcano, based 52.3km off the coast of Whakatāne, erupted killing 20 tourists and two tour guides.

The dead included teenagers, elderly tourists, a family of four, and two Kiwi tour guides who showed visitors around what was regarded as one of New Zealand's most unique tourism destinations.

Many of those injured or killed were Australians who had been visiting from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship docked in Tauranga.

Those who survived spent months in intensive care units in New Zealand, Australia and others fighting for their lives and receiving multiple surgeries to treat the extensive burns suffered in the eruption.

On the anniversary today, survivors, victims' families and first responders have been invited to the marae for a commemoration service.

It's is closed to the wider public and Māori Television is the only media present. It will be livestreaming the event to the public and the livestream will also be broadcast on a big screen at Mataatua Reserve from 1pm.

Last week WorkSafe New Zealand confirmed charges had been laid against 13 parties in relation to the eruption.