Mauao landslide and council fallout

The story so far

A landslide hit the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park on 22 January 2026 and killed six people.^{19 Aug} An independent review by retired High Court judge Paul Davison KC, released in August, found the deaths were preventable.^{19, 20 Aug} It found Tauranga City Council failed to act on landslide warnings received over two decades, and that emergency warnings received before 5am were not escalated to geotechnical assessors.^{19, 20 Aug} It also reported that a geotechnical report warning of high risks to life was reportedly not read by elected officials seven months before the incident.^{21 Aug} The council accepted the review's findings, which identified organisational weaknesses in managing landslide and environmental risks, and launched an improvement programme.^{1 Sep}

Latest

Council chief executive Marty Grenfell resigned after eight years, with his final day on 2 October, and Gareth Green was named acting chief executive.^{29 Sep; 5 Oct} The council has approved a six-figure budget to recruit a permanent chief executive to lead organisational change.^{22 Oct}

What's next

The council is recruiting a permanent chief executive.^{5, 22 Oct} A summer reopening is being aimed for the landslide-hit tracks in Mt Maunganui.

Key moments

1. 26 JulThe landslide site reactivates, causing further slips and a road closure.
2. 19 AugIndependent review finds the six deaths were preventable and warnings were ignored.
3. 20 AugReview finds emergency warnings before 5am were not escalated to geotechnical assessors.
4. 1 SepCouncil accepts the review and launches an improvement programme.
5. 3 SepCouncil revealed to have paid about $1.18 million in legal costs.
6. 29 SepChief executive Marty Grenfell resigns after the review.
7. 5 OctGareth Green named acting chief executive.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.