Mauao Landslide

Initial damage and safety assessments have been completed by specialist geotechnical engineers. Current work is focused on:

• Detailed assessment of landslip locations and their severity. Understanding ongoing instability, drainage issues and future risk.
• Identifying which areas might be remediated first and which are more complex.
• Developing options for repair rather than simple cleanup, particularly where track structure has been lost

This work builds on the initial assessment phase and moves toward planning practical next steps.

January’s severe weather event caused extensive damage to Mauao, including multiple landslides across the maunga. Council’s goal is to return Mauao to public use, but only when it is safe and sustainable to do so. 

Council is working closely with the Mauao Trust on all planning and decision-making for the mountain and surrounding areas. This partnership ensures cultural values, guardianship responsibilities and public safety are properly considered alongside technical and engineering assessments. 

Before Mauao can reopen, Council must be confident that public safety risks can be managed. This includes ensuring that: 

• Experts are confident the risk of further slips, rockfall and track failure can be managed. 
• Decisions are made about what remediation work is required, how complex it will be, and how it will be funded 
• Council continues to work alongside the Mauao Trust and tangata whenua, who are key partners in decisions about the maunga. 
• Ongoing independent reviews and investigations provide the information needed to support a safe reopening. 

Council is also considering a partial or staged reopening of the maunga, which could include some sections of the base track and summit routes reopening earlier than others. Any partial reopening would depend on safety assessments and engineering advice. Access will remain restricted until risks are acceptable.

For regular updates on the Mauao Recovery work please sign up for our Kōrero mai - Let’s talk Tauranga Newsletter 

Sign up for texts advising of imminent changes to Adams Avenue
 

Mauao Community update - Thursday 30 April from 5-7pm.

Read the Recovery Update from the Mayor and Councillors - March 2025 update 

On 21 January 2026, a state of emergency was declared across the Bay of Plenty region. Tauranga experienced extreme rainfall, with 199.3mm recorded on 21 January and a further 96.1mm on 22 January. This severe weather caused widespread damage across our city and region, including multiple landslides and damage to infrastructure. 

Mauao, our city’s treasured maunga (mountain), was particularly affected. Forty-two landslides occurred and, tragically, a large landslide above Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park claimed the lives of six people. Our thoughts remain with those who lost their lives across the region on 22 January, and with their families and loved ones. The devastating impacts of this weather event will continue to be felt by our city and our people for many years to come. 

Further across Tauranga, our city experienced widespread impacts, including a major landslide at Mangatawa, localised landslides, flooding, infrastructure damage, and multiple road closures. 

Police officially stood down their recovery operation at the Mauao landslide site on 1 February 2026. Following the handover from police, the site was officially moved into a recovery phase led by the Tauranga City Council to demobilise the recovery work, assess damage and work towards the safe reopening of Mauao. 

Following the severe weather event, specialist geologists and geotechnical engineers began assessing damage on Mauao to understand what had occurred, identify safety risks, and determine the best options to address at-risk areas. Tauranga City Council continues to work in partnership with Mauao Trust on any decisions relating to the maunga. 

The Rāhui placed by Tangata Whenua over parts of Waikorire (Pilot Bay) and Hīnekite (Mount Main Beach) following January’s severe weather event has been lifted.