Police have officially stood down all recovery operations this morning at Mount Maunganui following the January 22 campground landslide that killed six people.
Specialist search teams left the scene of the landslide yesterday following the completion of their work.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s specialist Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team was formally demobilised as emergency operations in the area began to wind down.
Bay of Plenty Police District Commander, Superintendent Tim Anderson said Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and Search and Rescue teams have now stopped all work and will leave the scene.
“The families were notified of this update yesterday evening.”
Anderson said this completed the recovery operation and whilst Police would no longer be working at the scenes technology remained in place to monitor any land movements.
Cordons still remain in place around Adams Avenue, The Mall and Marine Parade.
“We are constantly working with council and geotechnical experts to determine when it is safe to reduce the cordons.”
He said cordons remained in place for the safety of those who remained on the site but also for the safety of the public.
“We expect to formally hand the scene over to Tauranga City Council in the coming days,” Anderson said.
Police will now support any subsequent Coronial inquest into the tragedy.
WorkSafe is continuing to scope its involvement in the next phase of the response.
Police have signed an operational protocol for information-sharing with WorkSafe New Zealand, to avoid duplication of efforts and to facilitate the next stage of inquiries.
“Police will be formally speaking to witnesses and gathering as much information that we can to assist WorkSafe,” Anderson said.
“A number of Police staff from around the country will be assisting with this next phase of work.”
WorkSafe’s role was to look into the organisations with a duty of care for people at the holiday park, and whether they were meeting their work health and safety responsibilities.
Anderson said as of last night, all six victims had been formally identified.
“We are very relieved for the families that all their loved ones have now been returned to them.”
He said the last 11 days have been extremely difficult for them, waiting for their loved ones to be found and returned to them.
Police would continue to provide ongoing wrap around support to the families of the victims.
“While we cannot take the pain away, we hope that being reunited with their loved ones can help give them some closure,” Anderson said.
He said family liaison officers had put in an “immense amount” of work to support the grieving families.
“I could not be more impressed by them in regard to their compassion, dedication and professionalism.”
Mayor Mahé Drysdale said the council extended its profound gratitude to all the emergency workers and volunteers.
“It has been humbling to observe how hard everyone worked and came together to provide the families with some closure, with all six missing family members now recovered and identified,” he said.
“While loved ones lost in this terrible tragedy have now been returned, we will continue to offer support to the families in the years to come.
“[We] have been blown away by the care they have been provided by the Police family liaison team.”
Anderson said being able to complete an operation was always difficult, but commended all agencies involved for their assistance.
“On reflection, it has been a privilege to work alongside our colleagues, partners and volunteers for a common purpose.
“We have united to bring the families some form of closure out of this absolute tragedy.”
Police utilised hundreds of staff from across several regions, including specialist staff over the course of the operation.
Close to 100 Police staff were assisting on a daily basis at the peak of operations.
“We all had one goal, and that was to reunite families with their loved ones, but also to support these families through what has been an incredibly difficult time.
“I’m immensely proud of every single person who has worked tirelessly on this operation.”
Tauranga City Council will meet tomorrow to decide the shape of its proposed review into the Mauao tragedy.
Options described in the meeting agenda are a rapid internal assessment led by a senior staff member with no prior involvement in the event, or a comprehensive independent review by an external person with full access to council staff, records and relevant information.
Doing nothing was also an option but not recommended.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has indicated the Government may instigate its own review, and statutory processes by the Coroner and WorkSafe are also expected.
The 11.30am emergency meeting at the council chambers in Devonport Rd will be livestreamed.