Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has acknowledged the pain and uncertainty in Muriwai as it faces tough questions about its future.
On a visit to Auckland on Tuesday, Hipkins said the coastal town north of Piha was grieving, having lost "two really important members of their local community".
Those were volunteer firefighters Craig Stevens and Dave van Zwanenberg who died following a landslip while investigating a property on Motutara Rd earlier this month.
Hipkins said the community was "wrapping support" around the firefighters' families and the volunteer fire brigade was also feeling their loss "very keenly".
He said there were many people out of their homes and anybody could understand how "traumatic" that could be.
"The Muriwai community have more uncertainty ahead of them, and I just really want to acknowledge that."
Hipkins was responding to a question about red-stickered properties in the beleaguered town and what would happen to homeowners and residents.
"We need to work through a careful process with them so that we're treating them fairly and with respect, whilst also trying to get as quick a decision around the future of their community as we possibly can."
He said there would be some people who really wanted to return to Muriwai while others would not.
"There's still a lot of uncertainty around what the safe thing to do for that community is. We've got the geologists in there now... who are doing as much work as they can as quick as they can to understand exactly what's going on with the land.
"The land is still moving. Every time there's more rain, more land comes down."
He said geologists would provide advice on "what the right thing to do for that community is".
'Free democracy' to be celebrated - PM
The prime minister was also asked how safe he felt in the face of rising threats against politicians.
Hipkins said he believed there was an "element of international culture around politics creeping in" which saddened him because he believed New Zealand was able to have robust but safe debates in the past.
He said his approach was that he respected his opponents even if he didn't agree with them.
His message to New Zealanders was to continue to have friends that disagreed with them.
"That's the way we avoid a polarised society where we do end up with the threats of violence towards politicians increasing.
"We live in a free democracy where people are free to argue with each other and that's something we should celebrate."
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