Government launches inquiry into deadly Mount Maunganui landslide

The government has confirmed it will launch an inquiry into the fatal landslides in the Bay of Plenty last month.

Six people died after a portion of Mount Maunganui collapsed onto a section of a campground on 22 January.

A further two people died the same morning when a separate landslide hit a house in Papamoa.

Associate Emergency Management Minister Chris Penk was delegated responsibility for investigating whether the government would conduct an inquiry, separate from the Tauranga City Council's inquiry.

Penk has confirmed to RNZ that Cabinet has agreed to the inquiry into the landslides.

"It's clear those directly affected by this tragic and unimaginable loss, alongside the wider community, want to understand how these events occurred, and whether anything could have been done to prevent them," he said.

Penk said the next step would be to take a detailed paper to Cabinet, setting out the proposed scope, terms of reference, budget, and who will be appointed to lead it.

"Those responsible for the inquiry will be required to communicate with the families of the victims about its process and progress. It is my sincere hope that undertaking an Inquiry will help provide answers for all."

He said he expected to go to Cabinet with those details in the coming weeks.

"It might be that we're able to get that confirmed in short order, but it might go to the availability of people who would be ideal to have on the panel, so we'll take the time that we need to make that decision, and of course, for the inquiry itself."

The government has previously said there was a strong case for launching an independent inquiry, following conversations with the families of those who had lost their lives.

Penk said their messages had come through "loud and clear" in the government's decision.

The Tauranga City Council has launched a separate independent review, focusing on the events leading up to the landslide at the base of Mauao.

The fact that the council owned the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park meant councillors had noted there was an inherent conflict, and so expected the Crown would order an inquiry as well.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale previously said the Council's investigations would be different in scope to any Crown inquiry.

"We're very focused on... the 24-hours leading up to the landslips - you know, the decisions that were made."

He said the scope would widen to include anything relevant, but the priority was to establish the facts and the timeline.

Penk said it was "all very amicable" between the government and council in pursuing separate inquiries.

"Nevertheless, we do feel it's important to conduct a separate inquiry for the benefit of those who would feel that that's appropriate."

Recovery operations at Mount Maunganui were stood down at the start of February, but technology would remain in place to monitor any land movements.

Labour MP Kieran McAnulty, himself a former emergency management minister, said the party supported the government in launching an inquiry.

"Oh yeah, 100 percent. It was the right thing to do, we said that they should do it and if they did they'd have our support, and they do."

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.