Council will establish a comprehensive Organisation Improvement Programme to strengthen organisational culture, risk management, governance, and emergency management capability, with a clear focus on preventing future loss of life and serious harm.
Tauranga City Council Chief Executive Marty Grenfell says the Council unreservedly accepted the findings of the review and was committed to implementing every recommendation.
"Our first thoughts remain with the six people who lost their lives, and with their families, loved ones and everyone affected by this devastating tragedy. Nothing can undo the loss that has been suffered, and we acknowledge the profound impact this event has had on our community."
"The External Review is clear about the need for significant and enduring change. We accept the findings and we accept responsibility for acting on them. We are committed to implementing all recommendations and embedding them within a broader programme of organisational transformation."
The review found weaknesses in the way risks were identified, managed and escalated across the organisation. Since the landslide event, Tauranga City Council has already undertaken a range of actions to strengthen oversight and reduce risk.
These actions have included assessing landslide risks across council-controlled sites, introducing Trigger Action Response Plans and severe weather controls for higher-risk locations, strengthening executive accountability for risk management, enhancing Audit and Risk Committee oversight, and conducting a comprehensive review of historical records.
Around 21,000 historical records from the last four years of council activity have been reviewed, resulting in the identification of 479 potentially relevant documents across approximately 120 projects. Following initial assessment of all relevant documents, 23 high-priority records have been reviewed in detail, and the process has not identified any new or previously unknown risks to life.
“Significant work has already been undertaken to identify and address potential risks, strengthen oversight, and improve accountability across the organisation," Marty says.
“Meaningful change will require improvements not only to systems and processes, but also to organisational culture.
The review highlights that lasting improvement requires both strong systems and strong judgement. We need systems that ensure risks to life are identified, recorded, owned and escalated consistently, and we need a culture where people feel responsible for raising concerns early and taking action."
Marty says the organisation also recognised the importance of strengthening relationships with mana whenua in the stewardship of Mauao.
"Mauao is far more than a physical place. It carries deep cultural, historical and spiritual significance. We acknowledge that effective stewardship requires strong relationships, trust, shared responsibility and meaningful partnership with mana whenua as kaitiaki and owners of Mauao."
The proposed Organisation Improvement Programme will focus on four key workstreams: Culture, Change and Partnerships; Risk Framework; Systems and Reporting; and Emergency Management.
The programme's objectives include strengthening accountability and ownership of risk, improving organisation-wide risk systems and processes, increasing visibility of critical risks, strengthening governance and assurance arrangements, and enhancing emergency management preparedness.
Council has also proposed strengthened governance arrangements, including enhanced terms of reference for the Audit and Risk Committee to independently test whether controls for critical risks are functioning as intended, seek objective evidence of risk management performance, undertake site visits, and conduct deep dives into significant risk issues.
A detailed implementation plan, including governance arrangements, programme structure, resources, budget and funding requirements, will be presented to Council on 22 September 2026.
Regular public reporting on programme progress will begin from October 2026.