John MacDonald: Why can't we finger point over six avoidable deaths?

Author: John MacDonald,
Publish Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2026, 12:56pm

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Aerial view of Mount Maunganui. Photo / Mead Norton

If we aren’t all despairing at this revelation that the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was preventable, then don’t expect anything to change.

Because the fact that consultant after consultant warned about the risk of a landslide coming down on that campground for more than 25 years and yet it still happened, shows how much of a buck-passing country we are.

Six people died in that tragedy in January this year. Six people who, I think it’s very fair to say, would still be here if these warnings hadn’t been ignored.

I think the retired judge who did this report which came out yesterday has done a very good job. But I can‘t accept his view that blame can’t be pinned on any one person and that it was the system that failed.

I can’t accept that. Because systems are only as good as the people who run them.

And I’m really concerned that this disaster is going to turn out to be another example of how brilliant we are here in New Zealand at letting people get away with what I would describe (in my honest opinion) as nothing short of negligence.

Whenever something like this happens, everyone talks about making sure it doesn’t happen again. Which I always take with a pinch of salt.

In this case, I would like to think that this kind of thing will never happen again. But we can’t say that, unless we are prepared to see people carrying the can if they cock up.

Let me share a little bit of what Judge Paul Davison says in his report.

“For more than two decades, one competent consultant after another identified the landslide hazard to the campground, located it on the very slope that failed, and explained, sometimes in stark terms, what the consequences of a landslide occurring could be.”

His report says: “As long ago as 1999, Dr Laurie Richards warned that the siting of fragile holiday accommodation directly beneath these slopes was imprudent and the risk to sleeping occupants was high.”

It gets worse. Another warning 20 years ago, in 2006, said a slip there would kill 21 people. And still, nothing was done.

If there is anything to be thankful for, it’s the fact that it was six people who died and not the 21 talked about back in 2006.

Nevertheless, this was a monumental cock-up. And, even though I get what the judge is saying about the system being the problem, I can’t accept that we’re just going to let faceless people get away with this.

Because all that’s going to do, is enable people to continue to get away with turning a blind eye time and time and time again.

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