By Whakatāne Beacon

Ōhiwa Beach Holiday Park reopened yesterday afternoon after being evacuated on Saturday following a small landslide and treefall on Friday night.

The tree narrowly missed a house on the hillside by the entrance to the Bay of Plenty holiday park.

The Ōpōtiki District Council led the campground evacuation with support from Emergency Management Bay of Plenty.

Ōhiwa Harbour Rd was also closed from the Onekawa carpark, affecting access to residents getting in and out.

Although residents were not asked to evacuate, council staff engaged in door-knocking to keep them informed.

Onekawa Te Mawhai Regional Park was also closed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council as a safety measure while geotech engineers and council staff assessed land stability.

Ōhiwa Harbour Rd was reopened on Sunday, and the Bryans Beach and Ōhiwa Harbour Rd carparks and connecting tracks to Onekawa Te Mawhai Park were opened by midday on Monday.

Whakatāne District Council civil defence recovery manager Peter Edwards and the emergency management team responded to the event on Saturday after reports of the treefall.

“During the initial site visit, the size and scale of the treefall was evident. However, the impact of the wet weather on the remaining vast canopy of trees was a major unknown,” Edwards said.

“With the unknown tree canopy, coupled with the recent tragic events on Mauao, alongside Emergency Management Bay of Plenty advice and earlier heavy wet weather events with forecast continued wet weather, the decision was made to evacuate the campground as a precaution only, to prioritise the safety of the 107 guests.”

A geotechnical engineer from CMW Geosciences in Tauranga arrived on-site on Saturday afternoon to assess the ground visually, looking for any signs of stress on the hills.

“We are awaiting the geotech report, which is due to be received today,” Edwards said on Wednesday.

“All going well, the park should reopen this week, but it is subject to the advice of the report.

“Prior to this event, no geotechnical concerns had been raised with council. Following the events at Mauao, the general manager of the Tasman Holiday Park sought precautionary advice from the council about a geotechnical assessment of the park.

“This was in the process of being worked through when the treefall occurred.”

Tasman Holiday Parks spokeswoman Jennifer Durante said that after the slip-related deaths in Mount Maunganui, Tasman Holiday Parks undertook geotechnical reviews across its New Zealand parks.

“While no major areas of concern were identified, significant rain at Ōhiwa on Friday night caused potential movement in a small area of land adjacent to the park,” she said.

“As a precautionary measure, and in consultation with Civil Defence NZ and lessor Ōpōtiki District Council, the decision was made to vacate the park while further investigations are carried out over the next few days.

“The safety of our visitors and staff continues to be our top priority.”