Source: Radio New Zealand
The six victims of the Mt Maunganui landslide – Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Lisa Maclennan, 50, Susan Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15, Max Furse-Kee, 15, and Jacqualine Wheeler, 71. Supplied
A council-commissioned review into the fatal Mount Maunganui landslide will zero in on the hours leading up to it, according to Tauranga’s mayor.
Six people died in the slip at the Beachside Holiday Park, and their bodies have now been recovered and identified.
In an emergency meeting on Monday, councillors voted nine to one in favour of an external review – despite the fact the government was also likely to hold an inquiry.
Mayor Mahé Drysdale said the investigations would be different in scope, with any Crown inquiry expected to be broad.
“We’re very focused on … the 24-hours leading up to the landslips – you know, the decisions that were made.”
He said the scope would widen to include anything relevant, but the priority was to establish the facts and the timeline.
The council’s and its employees’ decision-making would come under scrutiny, he said.
Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale Calvin Samuel / RNZ
Drysdale said there was a desire to move quickly with the review, and expected to appoint an independent reviewer – and finalise the terms of reference – by the end of the week.
He said the cost of the review was yet to be determined, but anticipated it could be up to $250,000.
The reaction to move ahead with it had been mixed, he said.
“But ultimately, there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered, and we feel those questions need to be answered in a timely manner.
“We need to know in future: Is there anything we need to learn? Is there anything we need to do differently? And that will be very much answered in this review.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
