Mark Mitchell: Emergency Management Minister on the Mount Maunganui landslide

Officials say the number of people not accounted after a campground landslide at the base of Mount Maunganui is in the single figures and includes young people. 

Rescuers are working at Beachside Holiday Park, devastated by a slip this morning that swamped tents, cars, caravans, a toilet block, and the hot pools. 

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told Matt Heath and Tyler Adams that it’s definitely still an active rescue situation, and those on the ground are flat-out busy.  

He says it's a substantiative slip and there’s extensive damage, but the team is working as quickly and diligently as they can.  

Mitchell says the community has been outstanding in their support for those impacted, and they’re all trying to wrap as much support, comfort, and reassurance around them as possible. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks Be follow
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
We are bringing your extensive coverage of this extreme weather
event and the devastating slip at the Mount Long and
Nui campground. On the line right now is Emergency Management
Minister Mark Mitchell Mark, thank you very much for joining us.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Hell, you're welcome. Hey, Tyler, Hey Matt.

Speaker 4 (00:32):
Hey, So our emergency service is still treating this as
an active rescue or has it shifted to recovery mart.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
No, it's definitely an active rescue and fled out busy
on the ground at the moment, obviously making sure because
it's a slip and the ground is still unstable, so
just making sure that they're going to not make the
situation worse, and also that it's safe for our first
responders and the FENS and USA staff there and they're

(01:00):
doing their thing.

Speaker 4 (01:01):
What specialist resources are on site right now.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
Min Yeah, We've got USA, which is a very highly
specialist resort with resorts with specialist equipment search dogs, so
they are on site, supported by fendstaff and police.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Do you have a good idea on the extent of
the damage at the stage.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
Minister, Yeah, I've seen. I've just been onto the ground,
so the damage is extensive. It is a substantive slip
and obviously poses a real challenge, but the team's just
working as quickly as they can, as diligent as they can.
They realize how high the stakes are. Everyone is just
motivated in trying to get as quickly as we can

(01:41):
to these people and recovered.

Speaker 4 (01:44):
So is it a stable situation there right now or
is there a possibility of more slips in the area.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
There's geotech scientists that that are on site as well
that are providing device around that. But because the slip
only happened amount of hours ago, that is a concern.
So of course you have spotters that are sort of
keeping an eye on the rest of that health site
to make sure try and anticipate if there is a
further slide and war movement.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Obviously a heartbreaking and devastating time for families involved. Minister, Yeah,
I take it. They have the support they need right now.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, they do. The community the SIF club has been outstanding,
so we're all trying to just try to wrap as
much support, comfort, you know, and reassurance around them as
we can, but you can.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
You can just.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
Imagine, you know, if it was your wife, or your
or your children, how you'd be feeling.

Speaker 4 (02:35):
Absolutely, And of course there are slips across a much
wider area in that. What are the other main areas
of concern across affected areas.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
Well? For me, Northland, Cora, Mandel, Thames, Haireki they have
plenty and Tyrafit and gismon. But look, the response has
been outstanding, right from councils through to our first responders,
community groups, EWE and HAPU, you know, the best response

(03:06):
to these events as whole as society and just getting
better and better at that as a country.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
You mentioned in the press conference Minister, some of the
stories you were hearing from those rescue person now a
lot of bravery involved. I mean clearly that is something
as a country we can be incredibly proud of those
people who jump into those situations when we need the most.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yeah, we can be, I mean without a doubt, and
it's always humbling. It puts the lump in my throat
when I hear the stories of bravery from our first
responders in the and members of the community. I was
up in Northland. You know some of our remote communities
up there were hit very hard. NAUGHTI wie stood up
and did a great job up there. But I was
talking to one gentleman that waded through floodwaters to in
the middle of the night as Kevin had floated away

(03:50):
to save an older woman and a child. And I
have no doubt in my mind at all if he
hadn't done that, then we would have lost them. So yes,
I mean, keyw Wei's are always there for one another
when the chips are down, And although these weather events
are tough and we're now dealing with a real tragedy year,
you know the key we step forward to one another

(04:11):
without a doubt.

Speaker 4 (04:13):
I'm just just seeing these pictures coming through from a
big slip in Papa Moya. Do you know much about
that situation in Minister.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
Yes, so that's a recovery operation that's happening there at
the moment as well. So another very tough situation where
a slip has taken out an entire.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
House and for people around these these affected areas, Minister,
what is the messaging at the moment, Is it's still
to go to the civil defense websites, listen to the radio.
Is there still evacuation orders in place in some areas well.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
It's still although the red warning now has been lifted
because the tropical low has now moved offshore, we've got
a slight tail that's coming through the South Island and
we've put give any close eye on that sort of
around Tasman. But yeah, no, you're absolutely right. Just take
official advice, keep checking your civil defense websites and council websites.
You know, the media. You guys are very good at
getting information out there to people. You know, use be

(05:11):
pragmatic and use common sense. But you know, we're sort
of we're starting to come through it. We're still in
response phase. We are moving into recovery phase as well.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Minister, thank you very much for joining us. Really appreciate
the information, and yeah, it's going to be a big
day for you, so thank you very much. That is
Emergency Management Minister Mark Mark Mitchell.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
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