Government Inquiry into the Fatal Landslides in Tauranga

Overview

On 22 January 2026, eight people died in landslides in the Tauranga area. Two people died when a landslide struck a property in Pāpāmoa’s Welcome Bay Road. Six people died several hours later when a section of Mauao (Mount Maunganui) collapsed at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.

The Government has established an Inquiry to:

• establish how the fatal landslides occurred
• report on whether relevant agencies took appropriate steps to manage any apparent risk in the period immediately prior to the two fatal landslides, including steps to warn and evacuate people likely to be affected by the landslides
• identify any lessons that can be applied to reduce the risk of similar tragedies in future.

We are seeking information from the public, as part of wider evidence gathering, to inform the findings and recommendations of the Inquiry’s report.

This form

Please only provide information relevant to the Inquiry’s terms of reference.   The terms of reference are here.

We are seeking information from the public that focuses on:

• what happened before and during the fatal landslides
• any known risks, warnings or concerns about the two landslides that occurred on January 22, 2026
• any knowledge of the way in which risks of landslides were being identified, assessed, monitored, and mitigated
• what actions agencies took prior to the landslides in response to concerns raised about the risk of landslides occurring.

A number of issues fall outside the Inquiry’s terms of reference, which means they are not for our consideration. Please do not provide information on the following:

• Insurance or compensation claims or matters relating to individual properties.
• Information about rescue and recovery at either site.

If you have already provided a statement to Police, please do not re-submit that material through this process.