The eighth day since the fatal landslides at Welcome Bay Rd and Mauao started with a vigil near the cordons.
Recovery operations continued in the background as the community came to grieve the six people who went missing after the Mauao landslide, Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15, and Max Furse-Kee, 15, and the two Welcome Bay Rd slip victims, Austen Keith Richardson, 10, and Yao Fang, 71.
Luca Collier, 11, has been teaching people how to make flax crosses to pay tribute to the landslide victims.
The former Pillans Point School student and soon-to-be Ōtūmoetai Intermediate student has been visiting the He Maimai Aroha Community Care Centre, based at the old Mount Maunganui movie theatre, and taking people through the steps for weaving a cross.
“I really like the community down here, it’s really cool.”
Luca and his family visited the care centre last week, where he recognised weaver Kalena Egan (Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui).
“And then I said to her, ‘oh, hey, do you want to learn how to make a flax cross? I can teach you’.
“So then she agreed, and I sat down with her, taught her, made a couple together.”
He returned on Thursday morning to teach more people arriving at the centre.
Susan (Sue) Knowles, who died in the Mauao landslide on Thursday, was acknowledged by a friend.
Gary Singh said on social media Knowles was “more than a friend – you were like family”.
“Sue, you loved me like a son and always showed kindness, care and warmth to my whole family. Your heart was full of love, and you shared it so freely with everyone around you.
“Work will never feel the same without your smile, your support and your beautiful spirit. We are truly blessed to have known you, and we will carry your memory with us always.
“We will deeply miss you, Sue. Rest in peace.”
A Givealittle page was set up to raise funds for Knowles’s family by family friend Ngaio Neumegen.
“Any contribution, no matter the size, will go directly toward easing the financial burden and allowing the family to focus on being together and supporting one another.”
Knowles was friends with fellow Rotorua landslide victim Jacqualine (Jackie) Wheeler.
Show Circuit – New Zealand’s Ultimate Equestrian Magazine said on social media that Knowles and Wheeler were “long-term, much-valued members of our equestrian community”.
“We acknowledge with deep sadness their loss following the tragedy at the Mount Maunganui campsite this week.
“Both from Rotorua, Sue and Jackie were well known and deeply respected within the local equestrian community, and this news has come as a profound shock to all who knew them.”
The rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui were temporarily suspended before 11am today and resumed at 2pm.
Technology installed to monitor any movement of the land was triggered, and all work was suspended.
Geotechnical experts examined the area.
Detective Inspector Lew Warner said work resumed when the team received confirmation from experts that the area was safe to enter.
“While the suspension of work is frustrating for everybody involved, the correct measures must be taken to ensure the safety of everybody at the scene.
“I want to reiterate that it is absolutely necessary that we do everything in our power to keep the recovery team safe.
“These people have been working tirelessly in a range of testing conditions across the last week, to bring families their loved ones back.”
Warner said the recovery team, which included police, Fire and Emergency NZ, Urban Search and Rescue, and contract drivers, remained focused on the area where the campground’s ablution block was.
Earlier, acting Bay of Plenty District Commander Inspector Will Loughrin said recovery teams were making good progress but still had days of work ahead of them.
“Police, supported by Urban Search and Rescue and contractor drivers, have reached the area where the ablution block was, and they are continuing the painstaking effort to gently dig through the slip,” he said.
“The reason the work is so time-consuming is because we are digging millimetres at a time. We can’t rush this work, and we won’t rush it.”
Most people were allowed to return home Wednesday night following the evacuation of 150 residents from near Baypark.
The residents were from 30 properties in an area including the Mangatawa Marae and Papakāinga housing up to State Highway 2, near the southern end of Truman Lane.
The evacuation came after a fresh slip near a reservoir watermain pipe threatened homes and lives.
“After last week’s heavy rainfall, a slip has occurred near a watermain pipe to the reservoir above the marae, which has the potential to break, should the land subside further,” Tauranga City Council said.
At about 8.30pm, most residents were able to return home after the watermain pipe to the reservoir above the marae and housing was shut down.
Trademark Live, the group promoting the Fisher concert at Bay Oval on Saturday, has launched a Family Relief Fund.
In a statement on social media, the group said 100% of donations would go to families affected by the landslides.
“It’s difficult to put into words the pain our Tauranga community is feeling following the tragic events of last week,” the statement said.
“Our hearts go out to all of the families and friends who have lost their loved ones in both the Welcome Bay and Mount Maunganui landslides.”
Western Bay of Plenty District Council established a Mayoral Relief Fund to support communities affected by last week’s severe weather event.
The fund began with a $100,000 contribution from the Government, and was designed to support households and small businesses navigating disruption, insurance processes and safety concerns linked to the storm.
Each of the six councils most affected by last week’s storm has received $100,000 from a $1.2 million storm recovery support package, with the remaining $600,000 available through an application process.
Western Bay Mayor James Denyer said many households and small businesses were facing unexpected costs – temporary accommodation, essential items or urgent work needed to safely access their properties – and the fund provided a pathway for support when no other help was immediately available.
Donations were also welcome.
Information about applying for the fund and making donations could be found on the council’s website.
The event planned to honour Welcome Bay Rd slip victims Austen and Fang has been cancelled.
Organiser Louise Newton said the event would not go ahead “for personal reasons”.