27 Jan 2026

Questions over whether Mount Maunganui campsite should have been evacuated

From Checkpoint, 5:17 pm on 27 January 2026

The government is mulling an inquiry into the events surrounding the deadly landslide that crashed down Mount Maunganui on Thursday, leaving six campers missing - presumed dead. While the recovery effort continues, questions are being asked about whether the council-owned campground should have been evacuated earlier, when the alarm was raised about other slips on the maunga. Lauren Crimp is in Mount Maunganui and filed this report.