Luxon emphasized the importance of providing answers to the grieving families and learning from the incident to prevent future disasters. While the Tauranga City Council has initiated its own inquiry, Luxon believes that an independent government investigation may be necessary for impartiality.
Discussions will be held with the Tauranga mayor to determine the best course of action. In the meantime, efforts are being made to assist those affected by the recent severe weather events across the North Island, including providing temporary housing and aiding communities cut off by road damage.
The government has allocated $1.2 million to mayoral relief funds for affected regions and an additional $1 million to support marae that have played a vital role in assisting affected communities. Luxon acknowledged the challenges faced by those impacted by the recent weather events and pledged ongoing support to help them recover.
Overall, the focus is on addressing immediate needs and ensuring that lessons are learned from the Mt Maunganui landslide to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
