Key Takeaways:
- Eight properties have been red-stickered due to slip or flood damage in the Western Bay of Plenty
- Yellow placards have been issued to several properties, indicating restricted access due to moderate damage or risks
- Mauao and Mount Drury are closed due to safety concerns
- Several beaches, including Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa, have restricted access or warnings due to debris and rough conditions
- Campsites and walking tracks have been closed or restricted due to safety concerns
- Roads, including State Highways 2 and 35, are closed or have restricted access due to slips, flooding, and debris
Introduction to the Situation
The recent severe weather in the Western Bay of Plenty has caused significant damage to properties, infrastructure, and the environment. The Tauranga City Council and other authorities have been working to assess the damage and ensure public safety. As a result, several properties have been red-stickered, indicating that they are unsafe to enter, while others have been issued yellow placards, indicating restricted access due to moderate damage or risks.
Property Damage and Assessments
Eight properties have been red-stickered after slip or flood damage in the Western Bay of Plenty, with six located in the Welcome Bay area and two in mokoroa. Yellow placards have been issued to a property in the Welcome Bay area and two in Katikati. The Tauranga City Council emergency management duty controller, Gareth Wallis, stated that properties in Welcome Bay, Gate Pā, Bethlehem, and tūmoetai had received rapid assessments, and this work was ongoing. These assessments mainly focused on buildings with landslip risks. Two yellow placards have been issued in Gate Pa, one in Bellevue, and one in tūmoetai, indicating that these buildings were considered potentially dangerous and could not be fully occupied.
Parks and Public Spaces
Mauao, a popular tourist destination, has been closed until further notice due to large slips that have made the area unsafe. The Pāpāmoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park has also been affected, with over a dozen slips blocking vehicle and pedestrian access and damaging tracks. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has warned that the slips remain active, and there is an ongoing risk to public safety. Mount Drury has been closed as a precautionary measure while the Tauranga City Council assesses any potential risks. The area, including the playground, will be fenced off while conditions are monitored, and the playground will remain closed at least through the long weekend.
Beach Safety
The recent severe weather has also affected the region’s beaches, with Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa experiencing rough conditions and debris in the water. Surf Lifesaving NZ eastern region manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell has advised people to exercise caution when venturing into the water, warning of the presence of logs, sticks, and other debris. The main beach at Mount Maunganui has restricted access, and lifeguard patrols will continue as normal, with people advised to swim between the flags at Tay St instead of the main beach. At Pāpāmoa, the water is murky and full of silt, logs, and sticks, and a man was recently injured while trying to pick up rubbish at the water’s edge.
Campsites and Walking Tracks
The Department of Conservation (DoC) has urged holidaymakers to check their destinations and choose safe options, as emergency services are already stretched. DoC staff are still checking that some popular locations are safe after the severe weather, and visitors should be alert to the possibility of landslides, washouts, or downed trees when using open tracks. Several campsites, including the Welcome Bay and Waihī Beach NZMCA motorhome parks, Waihī Beach Tasman Holiday Park, and Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park, are closed. The Waikareao Estuary Walkway (Daisy Hardwick) is also closed, and McLarens Falls Park and manawa Falls have restricted access due to safety concerns.
Road Closures and Travel
The severe weather has also affected the region’s roads, with several State Highways closed or restricted due to slips, flooding, and debris. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Bay of Plenty system manager Sandra King has warned that the ground will remain sodden and susceptible to movement, potholes, landslides, overslips, and underslips in the coming days and weeks. As a result, people are urged to remain extremely careful when traveling, and to check for updates on road closures and restrictions before embarking on their journeys. State Highway 2 from Matatā to Edgecumbe is expected to open late on Saturday with traffic management in place, while State Highway 2 from pōtiki to Matawai (Waioweka Gorge) remains closed, and State Highway 35 from Tikitiki north to Pōtaka is also closed due to slips, flooding, and debris.
