Source: Radio New Zealand
A section carved from Mauao by the January landslide. The area remains closed to the public, with shipping containers placed in case of further slips KELLY O’HARA / SUPPLIED
A Mount Maunganui leader has accused the city council of excluding residents from plans to fix and reopen Mauao.
Mount Maunganui Ratepayers, Residents and Retailers Association president Michael O’Neill believed the council had “shut the doors to us as locals”.
He said a protest was possible unless things improved.
His comments come as widespread pressure mounted for more information, engagement and involvement.
This included a petition asking the council to establish a community panel of 11 Tauranga residents to discuss ways to safely and sustainably reopen Mauao. The petition so far had more than 2400 signatures.
The local business association also said council engagement had been limited and fragmented, with little collaboration and information, despite the organisation’s offers to help.
Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford said the community needed clarity on the next steps.
The council said a timeframe for its plan has not yet been confirmed. Decisions on timing would be made after assessments and approvals.
The restoration would be staged and include detailed assessments, remediation works, and safety checks, with cultural values guiding all decisions.
A landslide from Mauao killed six people at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park and damaged the Mount Hot Pools on January 22.
The storm also brought down more than 40 slips on the 232m mountain’s walking tracks. More than a million people use these tracks each year.
Mauao, the holiday park, pools, and nearby Mount Lifeguard Service Building and Pilot Bay boat ramp remain closed.
Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale told Local Democracy Reporting in February the council was discussing a rehabilitation plan and would reveal it to the public in several months.
Community feels shut out
Mount Maunganui Ratepayers, Residents and Retailers Association president Michael O’Neill. Alex Cairns / SUPPLIED
However, O’Neill, of the ratepayers, residents and retailers association, said the community felt shut out of discussions about reopening Mauao.
“[The] council has shut the doors to us as locals,” he told Local Democracy Reporting.
“Mauao is the heart and soul of everyone who lives in the Mount.”
He said locals got fed up waiting for the council to make a plan after a 2019 slip damaged the base track and did not appreciate the estimated cost of nearly $7m.
“There’s a sense of council stuffing around again and spending money unwisely.”
Petition launched
A cordon keeps walkers and visitors away from Mauao and other closed facilities while the council considers recovery options. KELLY O’HARA / SUPPLIED
An online petition asking the council to establish a community panel of 11 residents to discuss ways to safely and sustainably reopen Mauao and its surroundings to the public has more than 2400 signatures.
Petitioner Barry Scott said on the petition page the council’s landslide review had begun.
However, there was no suggestion in the review’s terms of reference that the community would be allowed to take part, he said.
He told Local Democracy Reporting this was a “matter of huge importance that we involve the community.”
“I’m proposing that we have a body made up of a dozen or so locals.
Mauao remains closed to the public after a fatal landslip in January, as Tauranga City Council continues assessments and planning for rehabilitation. KELLY O’HARA / SUPPLIED
“The panel itself won’t make any decisions. The panel would be an influencing body.”
Scott was to speak in the public forum at the council’s April 21 meeting. This would be when the petition closes.
Recovery ‘in limbo’
Mount Maunganui Business Association chairperson Jo Veale said engagement with the council had been limited and fragmented.
There had been little collaboration, despite the association’s offers to help, she said.
She said the council told the association it was working on a transition-to-recovery plan. This would outline what needed to be done.
Mount Mainstreet chairperson Jo Veale. AYLA YEOMAN / LDR
She had not yet seen the plan.
Veale said businesses were without direction, and frustration was rising.
People felt the recovery was “in limbo”.
“Everyone is waiting for that document so that we can spring into action.
“We can’t do anything until we see what they’re going to do.”
On Tuesday, they were told the document was “very close”, and Veale understood the council planned a meeting for Mount businesses on April 20 to provide a full update. However, the meeting’s purpose or outcomes were unclear to her.
Association business improvement manager Jay Banner said the council had been meeting every two weeks with the organisation.
Mount Business Association business improvement manager Jay Banner. Rosalie Liddle Crawford / SUPPLIED
He said the council had “not had a lot of information” to share.
The association had provided the council with data that showed spending was down compared to other areas.
However, “Mounties” were fiercely loyal and continued to shop local. The town centre was still vibrant, and hospitality was going strong.
‘Need some clarity’
Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford said many people were asking what the future looked like, what timeframes there were, and when Mauao would be safe to reopen.
“I think we need some clarity from the council on what the next step forward looks like.”
Rutherford acknowledged the tragedy, but said keeping Mauao closed was not the only way to be respectful of the loss of life.
“I’m sure there’ll be future discussions around a memorial and things like that.”
Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford. Alex Cairns / LDR
He said businesses wanted clarity about the future.
Rutherford said the council needed to front up and tell the community about timeframes, especially for the surf club, campground and hot pools.
Summit access prioritised
Tauranga City Council said in a statement that a timeframe for its plan had not yet been confirmed and decisions on timing would be made once assessments were complete and approvals were in place.
“Supporting local businesses is one of our priorities, and work is currently underway to develop a business support session to provide an update directly to businesses.”
The restoration would be staged and include detailed assessments, remediation works, and safety checks, with cultural values guiding all decisions.
“The summit tracks generally have smaller, more contained areas of damage.
“The base track, Te Ara Tūtanga, has significantly larger slips, large fallen trees and more complex ground conditions, which makes repairs more challenging and time-consuming.”
The council confirmed it would prioritise restoring the summit track access, subject to safety, cultural, and technical approvals.
The closed Mount Hot Pools, which have remained shut since the January landslip as part of the wider Mauao closure. KELLY O’HARA / LDR
“No final decision has been made yet on which specific summit tracks will reopen.”
A Quantitative Landslide Risk Assessment had been initiated for the area surrounding the holiday park, hot pools and lifeguard building to understand ongoing risk and possible mitigations to inform decision making.
Pilot Bay boat ramp remained closed as it sat within a landslide run-out zone.
Four buildings had red placards and 11 were yellow-placarded.
Landslide and infrastructure assessments were ongoing, including further modelling at the Mangatawa Reservoir.
The council said a Tauranga Recovery Plan was being developed, and regular updates would continue with financial and activation support being explored for impacted businesses.
The Tauranga Mayoral Relief Fund remained open to support affected individuals and businesses.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
