Key Takeaways
- Recovery work has resumed at the Mt Maunganui holiday park, where six people remain missing following a landslide on Thursday
- WorkSafe will investigate the organisations with a duty of care for those at the holiday park, including the Tauranga City Council
- The investigation will focus on whether the organisations met their health and safety responsibilities
- A full, independent review into the landslide will be conducted by the Tauranga City Council
- The Prime Minister has expressed support for the review and believes the council is the right organisation to address concerns about the landslide
Introduction to the Incident
The recovery efforts at the Mt Maunganui holiday park resumed on Monday, following a devastating landslide that occurred on Thursday. The landslide has resulted in six people being presumed dead, with their names being released 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. The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the community, and authorities are now working to determine the cause of the landslide and whether any organisations with a duty of care for those at the holiday park failed to meet their health and safety responsibilities.
WorkSafe Investigation
WorkSafe has announced that it will be investigating the organisations that had a duty of care for everyone at the holiday park, including the Tauranga City Council. The head of inspectorate, Rob Pope, stated that the organisation needs to understand the scope and context of the incident before committing resources to a formal investigation. Pope agreed that it would be extraordinary for an investigation not to be launched, given the severity of the incident and the number of people affected. WorkSafe will be working closely with New Zealand Police to determine the next steps and will be looking into whether the organisations involved met their health and safety responsibilities.
Recovery Efforts
The recovery efforts at the site are currently the top priority, with WorkSafe’s local inspectors extending 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. The spokesperson for WorkSafe stated that the focus needs to remain on the recovery efforts, and once the search and recovery phase is complete, the organisation will begin engaging with witnesses and technical experts, and gathering evidence from a range of sources. The recovery efforts are a complex and delicate process, and authorities are working to ensure that everything is done to support the families of the victims and to determine the cause of the landslide.
Government Response
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has expressed his support for the Tauranga City Council’s decision to conduct a full, independent review into the landslide. The Prime Minister believes that the council is the right organisation to address the concerns and questions that have been raised about the incident, including why the people at the holiday park were not evacuated sooner. The review will provide a thorough examination of the events leading up to the landslide and will help to identify any areas where improvements can be made to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The Prime Minister’s support for the review demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that the incident is thoroughly investigated and that those responsible are held accountable.
Next Steps
The investigation into the landslide is still in its early stages, and it may be some time before any conclusions are reached. WorkSafe will continue to work closely with New Zealand Police and other agencies to determine the cause of the landslide and to identify any organisations that may have failed to meet their health and safety responsibilities. The Tauranga City Council’s independent review will also provide valuable insights into the incident and will help to identify areas for improvement. As the investigation and review continue, the community will be waiting with bated breath for answers about what happened and how it can be prevented from happening again in the future. The incident has highlighted the importance of ensuring that all organisations with a duty of care for others take their health and safety responsibilities seriously, and it is hoped that the investigation and review will lead to positive changes in the way that these responsibilities are approached.
