Fresh Mauao slips force road closure near fatal campground site

Six people lost their lives when the hillside plunged into the Bay of Plenty campground.

Geotechnical assessments are underway after further large slips on Mauao in Mount Maunganui.

The slips on Friday night forced Tauranga City Council to close Adams Ave to vehicles, between Pilot Bay and the Maunganui Road roundabout.

The council says closing Adams Ave is a precautionary measure while the area is at higher risk of further movement, and is expected to remain in place until at least Monday.

This week marked six months since the fatal landslide at the Mount Maunganui Holiday Park, which saw six people killed.

An external review of the Council’s actions in the lead-up to January’s disaster is currently underway, set to wrap up next week, led by retired High Court judge Paul Davison, KC.

Friday night’s slips are also in the campground site, an area which has continued to experience slips and movement in the last few months.

Motorists and pedestrians have been asked to avoid the area.