Mount Maunganui tragedy: Report warned of deadly risks - four councillors did not read it
A geotechnical report warning of high landslide risks at a Mount Maunganui campground was ignored by four city councillors before a fatal 2026 disaster. The council meeting where the report was to be discussed was cancelled, and the document was not reviewed.
Why it matters
The incident raises significant questions about local government accountability, systemic failure, and public safety oversight.
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A geotechnical report that warned of a risk to life for campground visitors at Mount Maunganui was sent to multiple councillors, including the deputy mayor, and representatives of the Mauao Trust, just five months before the deadly landslide, the Herald can reveal.
The report from consultancy HD Geo was part of the agenda for a meeting on August 6, 2025, and stated the risk to life at the campground from rockfalls was “high”, and the risk of landslides was “moderate”.
Six people died when a landslide smashed into the Mount campground’s toilet and shower block on January 22, trapping those inside.
It was a tragedy former High Court judge Paul Davison, KC, said in a review was preventable and the result of systemic failures at the Tauranga City Council (TCC) over more than two decades.
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