Mount Maunganui landslide: Council releases external review findings

Findings of the first formal review into the Mount Maunganui landslide tragedy, which killed six holidaymakers in January, will be made public today.At 2pm, Tauranga City Council will release former High Court Judge Paul Davison KC’s report into the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park slip. Davison, Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell will address a media conference, which will be livestreamed at the top of this story. The report will be published on the council’s website.The six people killed in the Mauao landslide were (clockwise from top left) Pakuranga College students Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee, both 15, Rotorua's Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Morrinsville's Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Swedish tourist Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, and Rotorua's design store co-founder Jacqualine Wheeler, 71.It is the first of five investigations into the slip, with the Government, WorkSafe, police and the Coroner running separate probes.The landslide crashed down from Mauao into the campground at its base about 9.30am on January 22, after record rainfall.The slip also hit the Mount Hot Pools next door.The victims were recovered and identified over an 11-day emergency response. They were: Pakūranga College student couple Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee, both 15; Rotorua friends Susan Doreen Knowles and Jacqualine Wheeler, both 71; Morrinsville educator Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, and Swedish tourist Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20.The slip at Mount Maunganui and the campground as seen from the air. Photo / Screengrab, Amy TillPhotos taken in the immediate aftermath of the Mount Maunganui landslide. Photo / Bill BakerThe council estimated the landslide involved 12,000 cubic metres of earth. It was one of 42 slips on the iconic mountain in Tauranga’s wettest 24 hours on record.The Bay of Plenty was in a state of emergency the day before, in anticipation of the storm, and was under a MetService red weather warning.MetService reported that from 9am, January 21 to 9am, January 22, 274mm of rain fell in the city, which had an average January rainfall of about 79mm.Another landslide into a home about 4am that day killed a grandmother and her 10-year-old grandson on Welcome Bay Rd, Pāpāmoa. They were Austen Keith Richardson and his grandmother, 71-year-old Yao Fang.Yao Fang, 71, and grandson Austen Keith Richardson, 10, died in a landslide on Welcome Bay Rd on January 22.The council faced scrutiny over whether the campground deaths could have been prevented, including whether campers should have been evacuated sooner. It had closed Mauao’s popular tracks earlier that morning after slips.The campground was owned and operated by the council, while facilities arm BayVenues ran the Mount Hot Pools. The council jointly manages the iwi-owned Mauao Historic Reserve with the Mauao Trust.The council launched an external review into the landslide tragedy in February.In an emergency meeting, several councillors emphasised the need for a transparent process that could deliver rapid answers. Former High Court judge Paul Davison, KC. Photo / Sarah IveyAccording to the terms of reference, the review led by Davison was to consider the facts, timeline and decision-making processes before the fatal landslide, and the immediate response before Fire and Emergency NZ took over. It was to also look at the adequacy of risk assessments and monitoring systems, as well as any lessons or improvements needed to strengthen future safety.It would not examine the emergency response, or make findings or comment about the civil, criminal or disciplinary liability of any person.Davison was due to deliver the report by June 30, but the council extended the deadline by a month.The council previously said the report would be provided to the Mayor and councillors first. The council would then “engage with those most directly affected before the review findings are released publicly”.For today’s announcement, media who agreed to strict embargo conditions could access a hard copy of the report at the council from 1pm, and report from 2pm.The council has previously said more than 100,000 documents potentially relevant to slip investigations were identified. It has published about 550 of those documents online, many with redactions.The council refused to answer Bay of Plenty Times questions last week about how many documents were reviewed or people interviewed as part of Davison’s probe, or costs associated with the review, until the report had been made public.People view a roadside memorial for landslide victims in Mount Maunganui in February. Photo / Anna Heath The Government’s inquiry, which also encompasses the Welcome Bay Rd slip, is led by retired Supreme Court Judge Sir Mark O’Regan.Public submissions are open and a final report is expected in December. Mauao todayMauao, the holiday park and the hot pools remain closed, along with the nearby Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service building.The street they are on, Adams Ave, and the Pilot Bay boat ramp closed again last month after a “major regression” of the campground slip, which saw about another 8000 cubic metres of earth shift.Shipping containers have been placed between the slip site and the road, and the council is adding rock-filled bags outside the containers as an additional protective measure.It aims to reopen Adams Ave and the boat ramp by the end of the month. The Bay of Plenty Times revealed on Monday the owner of Rustica pizzeria, opposite the campground, had “pulled the plug” after the fresh slip.Several nearby businesses say the prolonged disruption since the slip has taken a significant financial toll.Decisions about the long-term future of the facilities have yet to be made.There was a major regression at the site of the fatal Mauao landslide. Photo / Tauranga City CouncilThe council has completed repairs to Mauao’s slip-damaged Motukauri 4WD summit track, which remains closed to the public.Remediation work was underway on Te Ara Tūtanga base track.Ground movement on Mauao was being monitored through inspections and geotechnical monitoring systems.Tauranga City Council recovery manager Charlie Rahiri told the Bay of Plenty Times in June that Mauao was a “couple of months away” from reopening.Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.