A community care centre has been set up in central Mount Maunganui to support those grieving after the fatal landslides in the Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga Moana.
He Maimai Aroha Community Care Centre, located in the former Bay City Cinema building at 249 Maunganui Rd, opened as a space for people to gather, reflect, pay tribute to those who lost their lives, and support one another following Thursday’s tragic landslides.
Two people, understood to be a grandmother and grandson, died when a landslide hit a Welcome Bay Rd home.
Police believe six people have perished at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.
The care centre sits opposite Coronation Park and is open daily. Tauranga City Council said the name, He Maimai Aroha, was gifted by te pou ahurea cultural advisor Josh Te Kani.
Inside the community care centre today, about 50 people gathered quietly on its opening morning, including two local mayors, councillors, and council staff.
Tables were set with candles, cards, and art materials, with people writing messages, drawing and sitting together over tea, coffee, and shared food.
Visitors will be able to leave messages of support, sit in shared silence, and find comfort among others affected by this event.
Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer said the impact of the “disaster” had been felt across Tauranga and the Western Bay.
“We’ve suffered two fatalities in Welcome Bay, as well as the loss of life here at Mauao. This centre has been set up as a joint community effort to give people a place to gather, to share, to grieve, and to come together.”
Denyer said council contractors had been dealing with numerous slips across the district, affecting roads and private properties, with several homes red- or yellow-stickered.
“It’s been quite heartbreaking in some cases,” he said.
While some immediate repairs would be completed quickly, other sites would require long-term remediation.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale described the centre as a place of solidarity for a community in mourning.
“This is a place you can come and share with others, to leave messages for the families, and to reflect,” Drysdale said.
“We know our community is grieving. It’s a space where you can just come and be and support each other through this.”
In a town normally busy with weekend markets and visitors, Mount Maunganui was noticeably subdued on Sunday morning.
Within the walls of He Maimai Aroha, the focus was on connection, compassion, and collective healing.
The centre is a collaborative effort involving hapū, iwi, Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, TECT, the Acorn Foundation and Bay Trust.
Iwi spokeswoman Ange Webster, representing Ngāi Tūkairangi hapū and Ngāi Te Rangi iwi, said the centre had come together organically as people recognised what the community needed.
“Collectively, people just knew this was needed,” Webster said.
“For Māori, coming together openly is a natural part of how we grieve. We laugh, we cry, we share the burden, and we help each other process what’s happened.”
Webster, who is also deputy chair of Ngāi Te Rangi Iwi, said karakia held morning and evening at the slip site had been deeply appreciated by many in the community.
“The intention of karakia is to bring peace and comfort,” she said. “Right now, the most important things are care, compassion and love.”
Volunteer kaitiaki (guardians) connected with Mauao and local mana whenua have been supporting the community centre and the recovery effort at the maunga.
Mauao Trust representative Jack Thatcher said it had been an intense and emotional time at the site.
“Our volunteer kaitiaki team are providing immediate spiritual support to workers, machine operators, truck drivers, and families,” Thatcher said. “They’re also advising on iwi protocols to help keep everyone safe, physically and spiritually.”
Tauranga City Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said the centre allowed the wider community to share in the grief.
“Everyone is impacted in one way or another,” Grenfell said. “This facility gives people an opportunity to care for each other, connect and pay their respects.”
Grenfell said an independent review would be undertaken to understand how the landslide occurred and how similar events might be prevented in future, but he said now was not the time for speculation.
“At the moment, the focus is on the recovery and on supporting the families,” he said.
Access to the Mauao site and surrounding roads remains under police control, with timelines dependent on recovery efforts.
Grenfell said the council would work closely with iwi, the community and the Mauao Trust once the site was handed back.
People wishing to help recovery efforts have been encouraged to donate to the Western Bay Emergency Response Fund, set up by the Acorn Foundation on Friday.
As of midday on Sunday, the fund had raised just under $20,000.
The fund would provide urgent financial support to local organisations, marae and charities working with affected communities.
It was a joint initiative between the Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, TECT and the two local councils.
Matty Nicholson of Acorn Foundation said the region was hurting and people wanted to help their neighbours and communities.
“This fund ensures their support reaches the groups and organisations who will be working with those affected by this emergency through the hard times that are still ahead of us.”
– He Maimai Aroha Community Care Centre, located in the former Bay City Cinema building at 249 Maunganui Rd, is open daily from 9am to 9pm until further notice.
– To donate to the Western Bay Emergency Response Fund, visit acornfoundation.org.nz.