Tauranga Mayor Mah\u00e9 Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell announced the next day there would be an \u201cindependent review \u2026 on all aspects leading up to Thursday\u2019s Mauao landslide\u201d.<\/p>\n
Drysdale said the purpose was to establish the facts and it was not intended to replace any other formal processes.<\/p>\n
The council has several roles in the Mauao area, including owning and operating the campground and joint management of Mauao with its iwi owners, while council-controlled operation Bay Venues runs the hot pools.<\/p>\n
In an emergency meeting this morning, councillors voted near-unanimously to appoint an external person to undertake an organisational review into the systems, processes and decision-making leading up to the landslide.<\/p>\n
The council also voted to \u201cstrongly support\u201d an independent Crown inquiry and any other investigation by Crown agencies into the tragedy.<\/p>\n
Drysdale was authorised to appoint the reviewer and approve the terms of reference.<\/p>\n
Grenfell was instructed to provide all requested information to the reviewer and any other inquiry.<\/p>\n
Several councillors emphasised the need for a transparent process that could deliver rapid answers about what happened and what could be learned.<\/p>\n
Review options<\/p>\n
The agenda for today\u2019s meeting laid out three review options prepared by council staff: a rapid internal assessment led by a senior staff member with no prior involvement in the event; a comprehensive independent review by an external person with full access to council staff, records and relevant information; or to do nothing.<\/p>\n
Doing nothing was not recommended as it would not meet community expectations or support the council\u2019s duty under the Local Government Act to consider lessons and improvements.<\/p>\n
Staff laid out the pros and cons for the other two options. <\/p>\n
The rapid internal assessment would have provided faster delivery at a lower cost; however, it was likely to carry lower public confidence, and the recommendations generated through the assessment might not carry as much weight as those put forward by an external, independent reviewer. <\/p>\n
The council also noted risks around perception bias and internal defensiveness.<\/p>\n
The external review provided the strongest assurance, transparency and independence.<\/p>\n
The downsides included higher costs and the potential for the process to take longer due to the need to use external reviewers.<\/p>\n
It also noted risks around potentially overlapping with the Coroner, WorkSafe and potential Crown-led reviews. <\/p>\n
Other inquiries<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said last week he believed there was a strong case for an independent government inquiry.<\/p>\n
\u201cEstablishing the facts is not only what the families of those who lost their lives deserve, it\u2019s also important in helping us ensure lessons are learned to prevent similar tragedies occurring elsewhere in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
He told media there were concerns a council-led inquiry would not be impartial given \u201cpotentially an inherent conflict between the ownership of the campground and the council\u201d.<\/p>\n
The recovery operation at the slip site on Adams Ave wrapped up over the weekend, with the six victims recovered and identified. <\/p>\n
They were Pak\u016branga College students Max Furse-Kee and Sharon Maccanico, both 15; Rotorua friends Susan Doreen Knowles and Jacqualine Wheeler, both 71; Swedish tourist M\u00e5ns Loke Bernhardsson, 20; and Morrinsville educator Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50.<\/p>\n
The six people killed in the Mauao landslide were (clockwise from top left) Pakuranga College student couple Sharon Maccanico and Max Furse-Kee, both 15; Rotorua property manager Susan Doreen Knowles, 71; Morrinsville educator Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50; Swedish tourist M\u00e5ns Loke Bernhardsson, 20; and Rotorua interior design store co-founder Jacqualine Wheeler, 71.<\/p>\n
Bay of Plenty Police district commander, Superintendent Tim Anderson, said on Sunday the scene was expected to be formally handed over to Tauranga City Council in the coming days.<\/p>\n
He said police would support any subsequent Coronial inquest into the tragedy, and WorkSafe was continuing to scope its involvement in the next phase of the response.<\/p>\n
Police signed an operational protocol for information-sharing with WorkSafe to avoid duplication of efforts and to facilitate the next stage of inquiries.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice will be formally speaking to witnesses and gathering as much information that we can to assist WorkSafe,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n
Flowers at a memorial set up at the landslide cordon at Mount Maunganui. Photo \/ Corey Fleming<\/p>\n
\u201cA number of police staff from around the country will be assisting with this next phase of work.\u201d<\/p>\n
WorkSafe\u2019s role was to look into the organisations with a duty of care for people at the holiday park, and whether they were meeting their work health and safety responsibilities.<\/p>\n
Drysdale told RNZ the council would start opening up the area around Mount Maunganui when it was safe.<\/p>\n
He hoped streets could be reopened within days but said it could be months before Mauao itself reopened.<\/p>\n
\u2013 LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.<\/p>\n