Former Tauranga mayor Greg Brown said he was not warned about landslide risks on Mount Maunganui following a critical review of city management.
The findings highlight a systemic failure to protect public areas, suggesting that local government officials ignored decades of geological warnings. This negligence puts residents and visitors at risk in a region prone to slips.
A review found the Tauranga City Council failed to act on warnings regarding a slip risk at a nearby campground [1]. According to the report, these warnings spanned 27 years [1]. Despite the long-term nature of the risk, the review indicates the council did not take necessary precautions to mitigate the danger.
Brown said he never received warnings about the landslide risk during his tenure. His statement contrasts with the review's findings regarding the council's collective failure to address the ongoing threat to the area [1].
Administrative failures extended to the handling of official reports. A council meeting scheduled to receive a report on the Mount Maunganui landslide risk in August 2025 was cancelled [2]. That meeting was never rescheduled [2].
The review focuses on the gap between the available geological data and the actions taken by city leadership. The lack of a rescheduled meeting in 2025 suggests a breakdown in the communication chain between technical experts and decision-makers [2].
Tauranga officials are now facing scrutiny over how such a long-term risk was managed or ignored over nearly three decades [1].
“The council failed to act on warnings over 27 years.”
This situation reveals a significant disconnect between risk assessment and municipal action in New Zealand. The failure to reschedule a critical safety meeting in August 2025, combined with a 27-year history of ignored warnings, suggests a culture of administrative inertia that may leave the city legally and financially vulnerable if a major landslide occurs.
