19 August 2026: Report on Mauao landslide, Rotorua museum

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Release of report into Mauao landslide

Enquiry

Reporter sought comment from Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell on findings of report relating to Mauao landslide, particularly given that two of the victims were from Rotorua.

Response

From Mayor Tapsell:

“I acknowledge the leadership shown by Tauranga City Council in addressing these findings openly and honestly as they undertake addressing and fixing the failings over the past 27 years of risk being identified but not reported correctly to decision makers to remedy.

“While our Rotorua Council has not yet had the opportunity to fully review the report, I accept the challenge and request from Mayor Mahé to ensure this tragedy prompts all councils and other organisations across New Zealand to learn from this and consider what steps can be taken to help reduce the risk of this ever happening again.

“I can confirm that Rotorua Council already has processes in place to identify and manage natural hazard risks. However, we are now committed to reviewing our own risk assessments and management processes to ensure we remain confident that appropriate safeguards are in place for our communities and visitors.

“Our thoughts are with those still grieving the tragic loss of six lives in the Mauao landslides. Bay of Plenty is a strong and close region, and I know that all communities and Councils will continue to come together to support one another in these tragic times."

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Media: Inside Tourism

Topic: Rotorua Museum

Enquiry

I'm working on a piece about Rotorua Museum's closure and future re opening, I'm interested in getting some further insights on the impact of Rotorua's visitors and specifically details around reopening with the following questions.

Is there a possibility of getting a turnaround by EOD?

-The museum has been closed since 2016 and won't reopen until mid-to-late 2028. Has council estimated what that twelve-year closure has cost Rotorua in visitor spend?

-What were the museum's annual visitor numbers before it closed, and what's the projection for reopening?

-There's a $7–8 million shortfall in the exhibition budget. What happens to the 2028 reopening date if that isn't raised?

-In a separate release, Community Experience Manager Alex Wilson has said displaying works elsewhere was ruled out on cost grounds. What were the specific security and environmental control requirements, and were any regional or partner venues approached?

-Mayor Tania Tapsell has said she'd welcome displaying works before 2028 if a suitable venue could be found. Is anyone actively looking, and is there budget allocated for that?

The comments referenced in questions 4 and 5 are from Local Democracy Reporting's coverage on August 16 here

Response

From Director, Museum & Heritage - Community Experience, Stewart Brown:

The Rotorua Museum art collection is an important community asset. Any future decisions about how it is managed, displayed, stored, or invested in would be considered as part of the next Long-term Plan, which helps guide Council's future priorities and investment decisions in consultation with the community. At this stage, Council has not commissioned a standalone review of the art collection.

Council has not undertaken a formal assessment of the economic impact of the museum’s closure. Any estimate would be highly speculative, particularly given the significant effects of COVID-19 on visitor numbers and tourism over that period.

Before closing, Rotorua Museum attracted about 108,000 visitors annually. We anticipate similar visitor numbers when it reopens.

All efforts are being made to raise the necessary funds for the exhibition and we are working towards a 2028 opening.

The museum’s collection requires specialised climate control, security and fire protection systems to ensure its long-term care and protection and in Rotorua we also require a system that removes hydrogen sulphide from the air as that affects certain objects and works. Establishing such a system at other venues was cost prohibitive.

The museum has continued to loan works to other institutions during the closure.