Mauao landslide frequently asked questions

Mauao is owned by the Mauao Trust, representing Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, and Ngāti Pūkenga. Mauao Trust and Tauranga City Council jointly manage Mauao under a Memorandum of Understanding through Ngā Poutiriāo ō Mauao, the joint administration board. Any decisions about the future of Mauao will be made in partnership between the Mauao Trust and Tauranga City Council.

Reserves at Mauao

There are two separate reserves at Mauao, with different ownership and management structures. These are:

Mauao Historic Reserve: The reserve is owned by the Mauao Trust - an iwi body established to hold ownership of Mauao (Mount Maunganui) on behalf of the Tauranga Moana iwi – Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, and Ngāti Pūkenga. Council and Mauao Trust have entered into a memorandum of understanding which establishes Ngā Poutiriao ō Mauao: a joint administering board with representation from the three iwi of Tauranga Moana and Waitaha, alongside Tauranga City Council. The purpose of Ngā Poutirāo ō Mauao is to manage and administer Mauao Historic Reserve.

Mauao Recreation Reserve: Tauranga City Council owns this reserve and is the administering body under the Reserves Act 1977. The reserve includes:

• Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park (buildings/assets owned and operated by Council)
• Mount Hot Pools (buildings/assets owned and operated by Bay Venues Limited with a ground lease from Council, a council controlled organisation under the Local Government Act 2002)
• Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service Building (buildings owned and operated by the Lifeguard Service with a ground lease from Council).

The weather event has impacted both reserves and will require significant focus as part of recovery efforts.

Tauranga City Council and the Mauao Trust, through Ngā Poutiriāo ō Mauao, are working together with the view that Mauao will recover and reopen, following the significant damage caused by recent severe weather and the Mauao Landslide. The intent is to restore access to Mauao, but it is likely that reopening will need to be staged and it must be based on safety evidence. Mauao is currently a high‑hazard environment with 42 identified landslides (12 classified as severe) and ongoing risk during heavy rainfall. Any reopening decisions will be made jointly by Mauao Trust and Tauranga City Council, with physical and cultural safety as the primary considerations.

Mauao Trust and Tauranga City Council are currently working together through the process of reopening Mauao. The Mauao Trust's role is to uphold the mana, cultural integrity, and long-term guardianship of Mauao, while working in partnership with Tauranga City Council on decisions about access, safety, and management of the maunga. Mauao is not just a landmark - it is a sacred tūpuna maunga of Tauranga Moana iwi, vested in the Mauao Trust on behalf of iwi, and holds deep cultural, historical, and spiritual significance. Any decision about reopening must therefore reflect not only technical and public safety advice, but also the Mauao Trust’s responsibility to protect the mauri of Mauao and honour its importance to iwi and hapū.

Because Mauao is both culturally significant and widely used, decisions about reopening require careful collaboration and time. Reopening Mauao involves several groups, each with specific responsibilities:

• Mauao Trust: the owners and kaitiaki of Mauao, responsible for protecting its cultural, spiritual, and historical values.
• Tauranga City Council: provides administrative support, coordination, and funding (pūtea), and helps manage access arrangements
• Independent experts: provide technical advice on safety, environmental impacts, and track conditions.
• Other agencies: may be invloved to support health, safety and environmental management.

Mauao remains a high‑hazard area due to 42 landslides, unstable ground, and ongoing risk of further movement. Safety advice from geotechnical engineers requires the area to stay closed. All landslides have been assessed. Monitoring equipment is in place, an exclusion zone remains, and a Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP) guides responses during heavy rain, land movement and seismic activity.  Work on safety, assessment and remedial options are now being undertaken. There are plans in place to remediate and clear some of the hazards, with contractors due to start remediating in the coming weeks.

• The fencing on Adams Ave is temporary and required for safety and site management. Council is looking at ways to improve its appearance, where this can be done safely and within operational constraints.
• The container on Marine Parade is a temporary operations base for the Mauao Kaitiaki, supporting safety and recovery work. It will be relocated to a less visible location as space allows and removed when no longer required.

Council’s role is to support and help event organisers facilitate their events in their chosen locations where possible. We collaborate closely with organisers about these locations and are working to support the continued use of Mount Main Beach, while operating within its current conditions and capacity.

The Local Transition Notice for Tauranga City Council, which took effect on February 4 and was extended to 1 April, has ended. Recovery work can now be managed using our normal legislation and policies, rather than emergency provisions.

Not at this stage. As contractors start clearing and remediating, timeframes will become clearer. A Tauranga Recovery Plan has been drafted and should be finalised over coming weeks.

The Tauranga Recovery Plan will guide how the city will recover from the January 2026 extreme weather event. The Tauranga Recovery Plan is a high-level document, focused on restoring safety and wellbeing, enabling communities and businesses to recover, and building resilience so Tauranga is better prepared for future events. It is framed by several recovery principles, goals and objectives, as well as broad actions that will be undertaken in the coming months. It has the two focus areas of Mauao and other citywide issues. Although the recovery and restoration of Mauao is a key pillar of the Tauranga Recovery Plan, it does not aim to get ahead of exact decisions of the future reopening of Mauao. Ongoing monitoring and reporting will take place to ensure that recovery remains on track. The Tauranga Recovery Plan has been drafted and should be finalised over coming weeks.

Information and analysis to date suggest that restoring access to Motukauri (summit track network) will be easier than restoring the Te Ara Tūtanga (base track around Mauao. Planning is underway to enable restoration of operational and maintenance access to the summit. This work requires specialist contractor expertise, experienced in undertaking such remedial work, in conjunction with geotechnical expertise. Implementing a plan to access the summit is underway and is expected to take up to approximately four months, however this is dependent on weather conditions over the coming months.

The base track is important to the community, but it is also the most complex area to remediate. The base track has 29 landslides, extensive treefall and debris, and sections within active run‑out zones. Reinstatement is not a simple clean‑up and will require engineered, staged solutions. For this reason, the base track will take longer to reopen.

The Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park is owned and operated by Tauranga City Council.

The Holiday Park was heavily damaged by a landslide that caused the tragic loss of six lives. The site remains within a high‑risk zone and is currently unsafe.

A Quantitative Landslide Risk Assessment (QLRA) is underway to assess future risk and possible mitigations. This is expected to be completed midyear. No further decisions can be made until the QLRA is completed and risks are fully understood.

The Mount Hot Pools are on Council-owned land, and the buildings are owned and operated by Bay Venues Ltd, a Council Controlled Organisation.

The Hot Pools sustained extensive landslide damage and sit within the Mauao exclusion zone.

The QLRA will inform all ongoing risk mitigation and decision-making. Alongside that work, Bay Venues is doing a detailed assessment of the Mount Hot Pools to determine the full extent of damage, including checking all the important infrastructure underground (the pipes, the bore, etc.). A small group of technical experts has done an initial visual inspection of the venue and site. The assessment will look at whether the Mount Hot Pools can safely reopen and, if so, the scope of work required. Bay Venues is working closely with council to ensure the assessment is carried out safely and with due regard to the sensitive conditions surrounding the site.

The Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service own their building, and Tauranga City Council owns the land it sits on.

No. The building itself is sound, but it was red‑placarded due to landslide risk from the hillside behind it.

The QLRA will inform all ongoing risk mitigation and decision-making. The results of the QLRA will enable the Lifeguard Service Board to make decisions on the future of the building to ensure the safety of their members and the public who use the building. The community will be informed as these decisions progress.

As of Tuesday 28 April 2026, Tauranga City Council changed the placard status of the Mount Surf Lifeguard Service Club building from red to white following further technical and review. The Mount Surf Lifeguard Service Club building has not experienced structural damage, loss of ground support, or debris impact from the January storm event. Tauranga City Council understands that as the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service is the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) the board has ethical, legal and insurance obligations to consider and meet. The chair of the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service confirms the board is awaiting final Geotech and Qualitive Landslide Risk Assessment reports while at the same time working in parallel with Geotech and Engineering experts on potential risk mitigation measures to enable reoccupation decisions to be taken. Based on current timelines the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service anticipates receiving the relevant reports in July.  

Immediately following the severe rainfall event on 22 January, conditions on Mauao were uncertain and landslides had occurred in several areas. At that time, the red placard was applied as a precautionary life-safety measure while engineers and geotechnical specialists assessed potential risks to nearby buildings. This is a normal part of the emergency building assessment process.

Since the event, engineers and geotechnical specialists have continued monitoring the area and reviewing the available information. The current advice indicates that the potential landslide hazard upslope of the Mount Surf Lifeguard Club building represents an existing natural slope hazard, rather than a residual risk directly caused by the January storm. Because the emergency placard system is intended to manage immediate safety risks arising from the event, the building no longer meets the threshold for remaining under an emergency placard.

The ramp sits within a landslide run‑out zone from Mauao.

Council is exploring possible risk mitigation, but there is no timeframe yet for reopening.

The event damaged utilities (power, water, wastewater), roads, parks, homes, and infrastructure. Landslides occurred at Mangatawa and other locations.

• 28 welfare needs assessments completed
• Temporary accommodation and food support
• Financial and psychosocial assistance
• Support via the Tauranga Mayoral Relief Fund

Additional geotechnical modelling work is currently being undertaken to understand the risk to property and key infrastructure related to the Mangatawa Reservoir. This needs to be understood with any mitigation undertaken before full services can be resumed. Ongoing recovery efforts prioritise support for impacted communities, properties affected by landslides, marae and restoration of essential infrastructure. Work to help downgrade or remove building placards also continues.

Following the severe weather event in January 2026, four buildings received red placards (two for Mount Maunganui Holiday Park, one for Mount Hot Pools and one for the Mount Surf Lifeguard Service Club building), while 17 buildings across the city received yellow placards. 

As of 28 April 2026, there are two buildings with red placards (one for Mount Maunganui Holiday Park, one for Mount Hot Pools), and 11 buildings across the city with yellow placards. The red placard on the Mount Surf Lifeguard Service Club building has been downgraded to white, one of the placards on the Mount Maunganui Holiday Park administration building has been downgraded to a yellow placard, and the other 6 buildings across the city which had yellow placards have been downgraded to white.

Monitoring and geotechnical assessments to identify any risk for these buildings continues.

More information on Rapid Building Assessment can be found on the Tauranga City Council website.

• Red Placard - means entry is prohibited as the building may pose a significant risk to public safety, health, and wellbeing. The risk could be from the building itself, from adjacent buildings or from land instability.
• Yellow Placard - a yellow placard means that access to the building is restricted and cannot be used or entered except under supervision for a limited time or on essential business. Part or all the building may have sustained moderate damage, or some areas of the building, neighbouring buildings, or land instability pose a significant risk.
• White Placard - a white placard means that the building is considered safe to occupy and is no longer subject to emergency access restrictions. It does not mean that the building is not damaged.

We acknowledge many Mount businesses are experiencing significant financial pressure. Support includes the Tauranga Mayoral Relief Fund (including a $200,000 contribution from central government), welfare and business support navigation to help connect with Ministry of Social Development, Inland Revenue Department and central government assistance, and ongoing advocacy to ensure Mount‑specific impacts are recognised in recovery frameworks. Council cannot replace lost revenue, but we understand certainty and reopening is the biggest support we can provide, so are actively prioritising working towards this.

Promoting Mauao without certainty around access and safety could undermine visitor confidence. Instead, Council is exploring targeted activation activity aligned with what is safely open and planning broader promotional efforts once certainty around access improves. We are working towards the safe reopening of Mauao as quickly as possible.

Mount Maunganui is a vital economic, social and cultural hub for Tauranga. Council’s commitment includes ongoing advocacy with central government, engagement with local businesses and community groups, exploring recovery and activation initiatives, and prioritising the safe restoration of Mauao access due to its central role in the Mount’s success.

The Mayor’s Relief Fund was established to provide short-term financial assistance to families, residents and businesses specifically affected by the recent severe weather events - across Tauranga Moana. The Fund is intended to support people experiencing genuine hardship and help with urgent, unmet needs. The Fund is not intended to fully compensate losses. The Mayor’s Relief Fund is made up of central government (Crown) contributions ($200,000) and public and philanthropic donations ($28,000).

Important update: There is no further support expected from central government into the Mayoral Relief Fund. All Crown funding available for this Fund has now been received.

Funding has been prioritised for applicants facing acute hardship that cannot reasonably be managed without assistance. Funding to date has supported individuals and households and affected businesses. Please note that Marae groups and other organisations have been redirected to the Western Bay Emergency Response Fund and DIA due to alignment and the more limited scope of those two funds. After the most recent funding decisions, approximately $75,000 remains in the Mayoral Relief Fund.

Subject to final Panel decisions, the remaining funding may be directed toward other Mayoral Relief Fund purposes.

• The scale of impact across Tauranga exceeds the funding available
• The Fund is designed for immediate relief, not full compensation
• Decisions must balance fairness, eligibility, and limited resources

While no further Relief Fund contributions are expected currently, advocacy continues

Yes. Tauranga City Council continues to:

• advocate to central government for improved recovery support
• highlight the ongoing impacts on local businesses and communities
• raise concerns where current funding levels do not meet local need.

This event was not a typical storm recovery. January’s rainfall caused ongoing and dynamic landslide risk, particularly on Mauao, meaning decisions must be evidence‑based and safety‑led. Before formal recovery planning could begin, Council needed to assess 42 landslides, install real‑time monitoring systems, establish a TARP, and clarify governance and legal responsibilities, including working in partnership with Mauao Trust. These steps are essential to ensure decisions are safe, lawful, and defensible. Work on safety, assessment and remedial options are now being undertaken. There are plans in place to remediate and clear some of the hazards, with contractors due to start remediating in the coming weeks.

Recovery from January’s severe weather event is complex and involves detailed geotechnical investigation, real‑time monitoring, safety planning, and coordination across multiple agencies and partners. Much of this work does not produce new, confirmable information week‑to‑week. Our priority has been to share information only when it is accurate and reliable, particularly where public safety and risk‑to‑life decisions are involved. We recognise that even when there is no change, people want reassurance.

Going forward, we will provide regular recovery updates to the community about progress in our Kōrero mai - Let’s talk Tauranga ENewsletter. If you would like to receive these, you can sign up here.

• Mauao Landslide website for updates and reports: www.tauranga.govt.nz/council/mauao-landslide
• Council's ongoing community communications

• An independent review led by Hon Paul Davison KC (report due mid-2026)
• A central government inquiry into regional landslides
• Investigations by Police (for the Coroner) and WorkSafe

A Trigger Action Response Plan defines specific actions to take when pre-determined conditions or “triggers” are met in an area, helping to manage risks and respond effectively.

Mauao Landslide - Geotechnical Response Guide (503kb pdf)

A Quantitative Landslide Risk Assessment includes analysis of life safety risk in the event of a further landslide. The methodology for undertaking the assessment is set out in the Australian Geomechanics Society Guidelines for Landslide Risk Management 2007.