The base track of Mauao at Mount Maunganui has been closed.

Tauranga City Council announced this morning via Facebook the popular walking track has been closed due to slips and debris.

It was not possible to walk around the base track, the council stated.

The closure was in place until further notice

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However, all other tracks at the popular reserve remained open.

The slips come as residents and holidaymakers at Waihi Beach wake to significant flooding, forcing some campers to evacuate about 3am. Read more here.

Mauao base track is closed due to slips and debris until further notice. It is not possible to walk around the base track. At this stage, all other tracks on Mauao remain open.

Posted by Tauranga City Council on Sunday, 23 December 2018

The council is part way through a $2.2 million project to remediate a slip-prone section of the track.

The project was instigated after a portion of the track, at its most southern point, was buried in April 2017 by a 14-metre-wide slip that came down during ex-Cyclone Debbie.

A temporary stretch of removable track has been built around the slip.

Long-term, the council planned to realign that section of track along the beach.