Recovery work at the site of last week's devastating landslide at Mt Maunganui has resumed after being suspended for a few hours due to concerns about land movement.
Police earlier said technology installed to monitor any movement of the land was triggered just after 10.30am, halting all work.
“The systems installed are designed to trigger any potential land movements and excess water within the scene," Detective Inspector Lew Warner said.
"All staff working at the scene have been withdrawn, pending further assessments.”
Workers were cleared to return to the site after geotechnical experts carried out a "thorough examination" of the area.
Warner said work restarted officially at 2pm, after the team received confirmation from experts that the area was safe to enter and resume operations.
"Following consultation with a number of experts on the ground, the recovery teams have been given the green light to continue with the recovery," he said.
"While the suspension of work is frustrating for everybody involved, the correct measures must be taken to ensure the safety of everybody at the scene.
"I want to reiterate that it is absolutely necessary that we do everything in our power to keep the recovery team safe.
"These people have been working tirelessly in a range of testing conditions across the last week, to bring families their loved ones back."
Warner acknowledged the outpouring of support from the "extremely tight knit" Mount Maunganui community.
"Ever since this devastating event, they have come together and offered any assistance they can for the families, the emergency workers and everybody impacted," he said.
"We would also like to acknowledge the many staff assisting with the recovery. Not just the recovery team, but our family liaison officers and other specialist staff across the board."
The recovery effort was expected to continue in the coming days.
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The cordon around the scene of the slip, which ploughed through Beachside Holiday Park near the Mount, was moved earlier to allow businesses to reopen.
Yesterday, Bay of Plenty Civil Defence said the state of local emergency declared for Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty District councils would be extended.
The council areas encompassed the sites of the two deadly landslides in Pāpāmoa and at Mt Maunganui, with two so far confirmed dead and six unaccounted for.
The extension came into force immediately before the initial state of emergency was lifted and remained in effect for the next seven days.
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