Kaumātua calls for permanent closure of Mauao after landslide

Friday, 23 January 2026

Heroic actions described by witness at Mount Maunganui landslide

Ngāi Te Rangi kaumātua Kehu Kehu Butler has called for the permanent closure of Mauao/Mt Maunganui, saying the sacred mountain has been “calling” for rest.

The slip struck the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park on Thursday.

Butler said the extreme weather had made such an event “likely”, and this latest slip marked a turning point.

“I think it’s time to give it a rest,” he said.

Destruction after a land slide wipes out a local Mount Maunganui camp ground.

He called for the Tauranga City Council and the three iwi of Tauranga Moana to lead decisions on when and how a closure might happen.

Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti Ranginui historian Buddy Mikaere acknowledged a permanent closure had been discussed previously but said it was complex due to Mauao’s popularity.

“It has over a million people who go around it or up it every year,” he said.

“We had a landslide that took months to fix, so it’s going to get a rest anyway.”

He said future decisions might include closing tracks during high-risk conditions.