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Linq Buslines legal proceedings for Hunter Valley crash

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2026-08-27 02:17 UTC → 2026-08-27 22:50 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Linq Buslines and its directors, Christopher Terrence Fogg and Anthony John Royle, have been sentenced in Gosford Local Court following guilty pleas to heavy vehicle rule breaches. The company received fines of $630,000 for one offence and $20,000 for a second, lesser offence. The sentencing relates to the June 2023 Hunter Valley bus crash at Greta, which resulted in 10 deaths and 25 injuries. Investigations by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator revealed that the company’s recruitment processes were inadequate. Specifically, the company hired driver Brett Button, who was addicted to opioids, without requiring medical assessments, driving records, or proper references. The company admitted to exposing the public to risks of death, serious injury, or illness due to these failings occurring between November 2022 and June 2023. Court proceedings described a “disturbing culture” where recruitment was conducted via “flippant” and “wholly inappropriate” text messages. Judge Kirralee Perry characterized the process as “flippant at best” and “totally negligent,” noting that the company also failed to address issues regarding fatigue management and speeding. Following the sentencing, survivors and families of the victims have vowed to continue campaigning for safety reforms. Expressing dissatisfaction with the judicial outcome, survivors Sharyn and Jason Junkeer, along with Matt and Leanne Mullen, described the fines as insufficient, with Mullen characterizing the penalties as a “slap on the wrist.”

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