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Natural hazard monitoring has stepped up at Auckland Council campgrounds and holiday parks following the fatal landslip at Mount Maunganui’s Mauao Beachside Holiday Park in January.
Six people died when a large landslide came down from Mauao into the council-owned campground after extreme rainfall.
An independent review into the tragedy found Tauranga City Council had known about landslide risk at the site for years, but systems intended to turn that knowledge into action had not been adequately implemented, and opportunities were missed to evacuate campers before the landslide.
Following the Mauao tragedy, Auckland Council says it has introduced additional operational measures at its own holiday parks and campgrounds, including on-site assessments, increased monitoring and further review of sites where existing hazard information indicates more investigation may be needed.
Council operates Ōrewa Beach Holiday Park, a coastal site within a tsunami evacuation zone and vulnerable to severe weather. General manager parks and community facilities Taryn Crewe says the risks vary from site-to-site and can include wind, coastal surges and rain-related flooding.
Crewe says council closely monitors forecasts for extreme weather and assesses where adverse impacts are likely to occur. Its extreme weather process can include moving campers to another area within a campground or closing the entire site.
“If we identify a risk to a campground or holiday park we will proactively communicate with customers staying at the site, advising them to leave the site for their safety if required,” Crewe says.
Although Ōrewa Beach Holiday Park was not evacuated during the Auckland Anniversary floods in 2023, Crewe says the impact on visitors was largely limited to very wet tents, while people staying in cabins and campervans were mostly unaffected.
Ahead of Cyclone Gabrielle, however, it was partially evacuated, with only a small number of visitors, in areas considered safe, allowed to remain.
At holiday parks such as Ōrewa, a live-in manager is on site and contactable 24 hours a day. Regional park campgrounds operate differently, with rangers working across the network during the day and on call after hours, she says.
Customers can be contacted face-to-face or by SMS, email or phone using details supplied when they book.
Holiday parks and campgrounds also have emergency evacuation information and signage, including tsunami evacuation routes where applicable.
During significant emergencies, campers may also receive emergency mobile alerts from Auckland Emergency Management or the National Emergency Management Agency.
Crewe says they routinely review risks and potential hazards across council’s campground and holiday park network and consider lessons arising from major incidents elsewhere in New Zealand.
Council has also undertaken significant work in recent years to update its information on landslide and flooding hazards.
“The health and safety of our campground and holiday park customers and staff is a top priority for Auckland Council,” Crewe says.
