Mauao landslide: Why holiday parks are reviewing their natural hazard plans
Holiday parks across New Zealand are reviewing safety protocols following a fatal landslide at Mount Maunganui that killed six people. An official review found the tragedy was preventable, citing long-standing warnings about landslide risks in the area.
Why it matters
It underscores the critical importance of hazard management and duty of care for public infrastructure and tourism operators in disaster-prone regions.
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Six holidaymakers died in January in a landslide at Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park at the foot of Mauao. Photo / Jason Dorday
Holiday parks nationwide are reviewing their natural hazard plans after the deadly landslide into a Mount Maunganui campground.
Six holidaymakers died when a section of Mauao collapsed into Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park , owned by Tauranga City Council, about 9.30am on January 22 after record rain.
The council’s external review of the fatal landslide, led by former High Court judge Paul Davison KC, found the tragedy was “preventable”.
Davison identified reports of landslide risk and rockfall hazards to the campground going back to 1999.
The 1999 report by rock engineering consultant Dr Laurie Richards said heavy rain could cause debris flows into the campground.
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