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A camper at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park says a Tauranga City Council vehicle drove through the campground and past multiple visible slips about two hours before a fatal landslide struck.
Speaking to state media, the woman said she contacted police at 6.18am after being woken by victim Lisa Maclennan when a slip shifted campervans. She said there were no campground staff present during severe weather warnings and state of emergency.
She provided photos and video of the initial slips and said a council ute later passed slowly through the affected area, leading campers to believe the risk was being managed.
The landslide later killed six people and injured others.
Tauranga City Council and emergency agencies have acknowledged receiving early notifications but say a full review of events will occur once recovery and safety assessments are complete.
Analysis points to earlier pōhutukawa removal and long-term slope destabilisation
An analysis published by the Centrist concludes that the landslide was not caused by the more recent removal of exotic trees, but is likely linked to earlier clearance of native pōhutukawa above the Beachside Holiday Park.
The report challenges claims that the 2026 rain event was unprecedented, noting Tauranga experienced significantly heavier and more prolonged rainfall during the May 2005 storms without a comparable failure on Mauao.
Using Google Earth imagery, the analysis identified a substantial reduction in tree cover between 2017 and 2019 in the eventual slip zone, with the landslide originating above the 2026 treeline in an area previously forested.
Geotechnical engineer Rod Kane has suggested that decaying root systems left after tree removal can create pathways for water to destabilise slopes over time. The analysis indicates the cleared trees were likely pōhutukawa affected by myrtle rust, rather than exotic species removed later for cultural reasons, reinforcing the conclusion that long-term vegetation loss, not record rainfall alone, may have been a critical contributing factor.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph New Zealand.
