Tragically, on 22 January 2026, a large landslide above Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park claimed the lives of six people.
Soon after the tragedy, Mayor Mahé Drysdale and Councillors commissioned an external review, led by Hon Paul Davison KSO KC.
The findings of the external review were publicly released on 19 August. Tauranga City Council formally accepted the review's findings and recommendations at a Council meeting on 1 September and committed to implementing them in full.
While the Organisational Improvement Programme developed in response to the Davison Review was not endorsed in its current form at today’s Council meeting, the Mayor and Councillors approved the governance and oversight arrangements needed to support its further development before it is brought back to Council for consideration.
"The programme proposed today is heading in the right direction, however we need to see more information prior to fully endorsing it. I commend staff for pulling things together so quickly, as well as the changes already implemented following the tragic event,” says Mayor Mahé Drysdale.
“There is still work to be done, including defining how we will measure success, demonstrate improvement over time, and consider community feedback," he says.
"What my Councillors and I were clear on today was that we do not want to slow progress. By putting the right governance structures in place to support the programme, we can continue moving forward with what will be a significant programme of organisational improvement."
The governance arrangements approved today will oversee the development and implementation of the programme of work, including the establishment of a Programme Steering Group comprising elected member representation, executive team sponsors and independent expertise where required. An independent programme director will also be appointed to lead delivery of the organisation improvement programme, with regular formal reporting to the Programme Steering Group and the Audit and Risk Committee, alongside ongoing updates to all elected members.
"As Governors of this city, we are clear that we need to direct and own the changes required at Tauranga City Council. While we will seek external advice where appropriate and continue to listen to our staff and community, responsibility for ensuring delivery of meaningful change sits with us. This is our responsibility, and we are committed to seeing it through.
"January's devastating event has changed lives forever, and our thoughts remain with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. They are the reason we are committed to driving this work forward."
At today’s Council meeting, the Mayor and Councillors approved $500,000 in funding to enable the recruitment and appointment of an independent Organisational Improvement Programme Director and progress immediate actions to support risk improvement and strengthen organisational culture.
The Mayor and Councillors made it very clear that the response needs to be appropriate, while keeping it simple and not over complicated, with internal resource and prioritisation used wherever possible, rather than additional external resources.
Staff will now report back to Council with a refined Organisational Improvement Programme, including recommended budgets, resource requirements, implementation sequencing and measures of success, for approval.