The recovery effort at Mount Maunganui following last week’s landslide remains ongoing today, as the operation moves into week two.

Superintendent Tim Anderson, Bay of Plenty District Commander says this has been a challenging operation for everybody involved.

“As this operation reaches week two, it gives a great indication of the sheer scale of what we are working with here.”

Police continue to call on staff from out of district

Since the landslide on Thursday 24 January, Police has utilised hundreds of specialised staff across a number of workgroups.

“We have seen a significant number of staff from around the country travel into Mount Maunganui in recent days.

“Over the course of the last week, Police staff from several districts have come into the region to assist with the recovery operation, as well as relieve some of our staff who have worked incredibly hard.

“It has been warm the last couple of days, so we need to maintain our focus on staff safety.”

Specialist technology remains in place

Technology that was sent up from Wellington on Sunday 25 January remains in place and has been a great contributor to the safety of staff working at the scene.

“It was imperative that this technology was brought up and installed, and we have already seen success in its purpose, when staff were alerted to an issue with excess water within the scene on Thursday 29 January, suspending search efforts temporarily.

“While there is no way for us to control a natural hazard, the technology has greatly assisted our recovery teams by providing another safety method for those who are working meticulously to bring people back to their loved ones,” says Superintendent Anderson.

Recovery teams making good progress

Recovery teams working at Mount Maunganui have made good progress in recent days, however there is still a lot of work to do.

“Due to the nature of the work being undertaken, we do not have a timeline on when work will be complete.

“We are here for those grieving and for the families that have lost loved ones in this tragedy. The teams on scene are doing a great job at looking after each other, and we all want to reunite families with their loved ones.”

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