The Country 22/01/26: Mark Mitchell talks to Jamie Mackay

The Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery live on the ground at the tragic landslide at Mount Maunganui.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good afternoon, New Zealand. I wish I could say it
was a good afternoon. This is the country. I'm Jamie McKay.
Tragic scenes unfolding at Mount Monganui, by that famous camp site.
We're going to go there right away to kick off
the show. And thank you very much for his time too.
The Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery, Mark Mitchell. Mark.

(00:21):
I know you're limited and what you can say at
this stage. It's very fluid situation. What's the latest you've got.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Hi, Jamie, It is fluid. I'm down at the Mount
MNT Annuity seth I Saving Club, which is where we're
based out of. It's an ongoing operation. It's lead by
fens but you know, a risk police are in there
and it's been overseen by a civil defense and we're
just working through. We're just accounting and working out who's
not accounted for and the teams are working as quick

(00:51):
as they can to try to color people.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
And I know you can't put a number on this,
but we're talking several people.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, I can't put a number on because it is fluid,
but yes it is okay.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
So we've got that tragedy unfolding. We've also got other
people around the country unaccounted for this storm, This ragin
event is becoming a real issue.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yes, and they all relate to slips. To be honest
with you, I just think for everyone listening, it's just
although we've got the tropical low has now gone offshore,
there's a little there's a tail of it that will
be coming over the South Island and we watch them
closely down in Tasman, but just the ground is saturated,
and so just to be aware that any areas, any

(01:39):
hills or anything that appear unstable, or just to be
aware that there's still the slip risk has not gone away.
And of course that always makes it more challenging and
difficult for our contractors and our first responders when they're
trying to get in and help them recover people. That's
the case here obviously in Towerna, because we've got two
scenes at the moment where where there's recovery going on. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
And also obviously not just limited to the Bay of Plenty,
Northland's had rainfall amounts of biblical proportions. We know the
East Coast getting hammered as well. Can you give us
a general overview of what you're hearing.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah, so that's right. Northland. We're in a local state
of emergency up there. We had we had Teams, Corimandal,
we had how Raki, we had Bay Plenty and Tirafity,
all in local states for emergency. Most of them are
still in the local states emergency because they we're still
assessing and still in many regards and response before we
move into recovery. All of them have come out of

(02:38):
a red rain warning now, which is good. And like
I said, we're just sort of dealing with that tale
down on the South the top of the South Island.
Just a shout out, I mean, because you know, of
course our farmers get hit. But I drove through from Thames,
Corimandal and then how Raki. According to both the oc
Z last night we drove through to Tower on the
late last night. We had trees sort of coming down

(03:00):
and everywhere, and your farmer's out there cutting and moving
and making sure people are supported. But so you know,
just a big shout out to our royal communities, royal
trust that always step up and are there to help
and support the community when we have these events come through.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Well, Mark Mitchell, I know you're a very busy man.
You've got a lot on your plate. Thanks for some
of your time today.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Thanks Jamie, There we go.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Mark Mitchell, Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery.