A message from Mayor Mahé with Mahé Drysdale

Just over a month has passed since the tragic landslide at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, and there continues to be strong community interest in when our iconic taonga, Mauao, may be able to reopen to the public.

Unfortunately, at this stage, the answer is that we don’t know yet. Geologist and geotechnical engineer assessments show there are 42 separate landslides across the walking tracks of Mauao, many of which are severe and complex requiring engineering solutions. Now the initial assessments are complete, we are focused on finding solutions to fix and continue work to understand the ongoing risks we are dealing with to help us in our decision making.

Public safety priority

Until there is a very high level of confidence that the risk of further landslides is minimal, public safety must remain our priority. Any future decisions about the reopening of Mauao will be made alongside iwi and the Mauao Trust, and will be guided by safety, respect for what has occurred, and the community’s deep aroha for the maunga.

To help manage ongoing risk, a real‑time monitoring and automated alarm system has been installed on the mountain. This system is designed to detect early signs of land movement and trigger an alert if movement thresholds are exceeded. If the warning alarm activates, people should move away from the area immediately.

At the time of writing, the Pilot Bay boat ramp remains closed, following advice that there is still a heightened risk of further slips that could affect this area. Access to the Surf Life Saving Club also remains closed, and the building continues to be red‑placarded until geotechnical assessments confirm that landslides from the area behind it no longer pose such a significant risk.

Mount township open 

While Mauao remains closed, Mount Maunganui itself is very much open. I encourage locals and visitors to continue enjoying all it has to offer – from the beautiful beaches and the Marine Parade Coastal Pathway to Hopukiore (Mount Drury), along with the many great retail and hospitality options available. Local businesses have been impacted, and continued community support will play an important role in helping businesses, the wider community and our city recover from this tragic event.

‘Thank you’ 

In the weeks following the tragedy, the He Maimai Aroha community care centre provided a dedicated space for people to come together to grieve, reflect and support one another. As this space has now closed, we want to thank everyone who visited, shared their aroha, and helped support others during an incredibly difficult time. All condolences shared at the centre will be respectfully archived, and a separate plan is being developed for the future location or disposition of the condolence boards in consultation with the families.