Recovery work resumed at the site on Monday, Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
WorkSafe says it will be looking into the organisations that had a duty of care for everyone at the Mt Maunganui holiday park, but for now the priority is on the recovery efforts.
Its head of inspectorate Rob Pope told RNZ's Midday Report Tauranga City Council was one of the entities it needs to speak with and understand its part in the event.
When asked if it would be extraordinary for an investigation not to be launched given six people were presumed dead, Pope agreed but said they needed to understand the scope and context first before committing resources to a formal investigation.
Recovery work resumed at the site of the Mount Maunganui landslide on Monday, where six people remain missing following Thursday's landslide.
The victims have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15 and Max Furse-Kee, 15.
A WorkSafe spokesperson told RNZ they were in the "very early stages" of assessing what their role may look like once the search and recovery phase was complete.
"We are currently bringing together a team of inspectors and will be working closely with New Zealand Police to determine next steps.
"We will be looking into the organisations that had a duty of care for everyone at the holiday park, and whether or not they were meeting their health and safety responsibilities."
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Pope said it was important to understand the context of what had happened before committing resources to a more extensive investigation.
"Part of that is identifying which business entities have responsibilities for the campground. Along with that, we will be gathering other information so we can provide an objective understanding of the scope and focus of our investigation, and that will determine whether we undertake a formal investigation."
Currently, the focus needed to remain on the recovery efforts, the spokesperson said.
"When the time is right, our inspectors will begin engaging with witnesses and technical experts, and gathering evidence from a range of sources including the organisations involved in the operation of the holiday park and the scene.
"In the meantime, our local inspectors have also extended an offer of support to Emergency Management Bay of Plenty and other agencies to ensure that workers involved in the response are kept safe and healthy."
Pope told RNZ WorkSafe was working closely with police to coordinate their responses after the "incredibly tragic event".
He did not have a timeframe for when a decision on a formal investigation would be made, but said the inspectors would be working at pace and focused on providing the right level of confidence for the families who wanted answers.
"We will be committed to addressing this issue as quickly as we can."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report he supported Tauranga City Council's decision to conduct a full, independent review into the landslide.
"There's lots of concerns that people have about why they weren't evacuated sooner. I think they are very legitimate, very good questions that need answers."
He says the council, which is leading the review, was the right organisation to address those questions.
