The report of the external review commissioned by Tauranga City Council into the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park landslide

The external review into the 22 January 2026 landslide at Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park in New Zealand has harshly criticized Tauranga City Council (TCC) for its approach to managing the known landslide hazard and risk. The review, commissioned by TCC and undertaken by Hon. Paul Davison KSO KC, examined the decision-making processes, adequacy of risk assessments and monitoring systems, and potential improvements to enhance future safety.

The landslide was preventable, as the council was aware of the risk and had twice seen recommendations for effective and inexpensive hazard management. The review stresses that the hazard was known and effective mitigation measures could have been implemented, potentially preventing the disaster. Had the council followed these guidelines, the decision to evacuate would have been made in advance, based on defined criteria, rather than relying on the unaided judgement of those on the scene.

The report highlights that multiple studies revealed the risk to life at the campsite was unacceptably high, but the council failed to put in place robust operational processes and discipline. TCC has accepted the findings and recommendations of the external review, but this report has significant implications for landslide risk management in New Zealand.

It recommends that for every populated site controlled by TCC, exposed to a natural-hazard risk to life assessed as Medium or higher, TCC should require the development and maintenance of a Trigger Action Response Plan (TARP). This plan should be capable of immediate implementation, be refined over time, identify specific triggers, empower designated personnel to act without higher approval, and understand evacuation/avoidance as a higher-order control than engineered consequence-reduction.

While this recommendation applies specifically to TCC, it will have far-reaching effects for all local authorities in New Zealand with similarly high natural-hazard risk sites.