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Govt's "determined to learn lessons" in wake of fatal landslide and severe storms

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 28 Jan 2026, 8:25am
The slip on Mauao which claimed the lives of six at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.
The slip on Mauao which claimed the lives of six at the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.

Govt's "determined to learn lessons" in wake of fatal landslide and severe storms

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Wed, 28 Jan 2026, 8:25am

The Emergency Management Associate Minister says it's vital we understand exactly what went wrong leading up to the Mount Maunganui landslide. 

The Government led inquiry will investigate the events surrounding Thursday's deadly slip, where recovery of the six people missing could still take weeks.  

Meanwhile, it's dishing out $2.4 million to help storm-hit communities. 

Chris Penk told Mike Hosking it's a high stakes event, with low information and lots of emotion. 

He says the lessons we learn about avoiding preventable disasters won't be worth its weight in paper if we don't know what happened at Mount Maunganui. 

There’s also an assurance that the Government's funding for storm-hit communities is just the start. 

About 500 people have been displaced across the North Island, nine left dead, with one still missing. 

The Government's funding $200 thousand to Rural Support Trusts, $1.2 million into mayoral relief funds, and $1 million into reimbursing marae helping out. 

Penk told Hosking the funding's on top of Government investments into flood resilience. 

He says it's not about just giving a small amount for this incident, it's about getting the cash flowing. 

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