Police have officially ended all recovery operations at Mount Maunganui, 11 days after six people were killed when a deadly landslide struck a holiday park at the base of Mauao.
Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson confirmed this morning that Disaster Victim Identification and Search and Rescue teams had now withdrawn from the scene.
Families of the six victims had been notified of the update on Saturday night.
"This completes the recovery operation. While police will no longer be working at the scene, technology remains in place to monitor any land movements."
Despite recovery efforts wrapping up, cordons would stay in place around Adams Avenue, The Mall and Marine Parade.
Superintendent Anderson said police are working closely with Tauranga City Council and geotechnical specialists to determine when the restricted area can safely be reduced.
"These remain in place for the safety of those who remain on the site, but also for the safety of the public," he said.
Technology continues to monitor ground movement, and police expect to hand the scene over to the council "in the coming days".
Focus moves to Coronial, WorkSafe inquests
With the recovery phase complete, police would now support an upcoming Coronial inquest.
WorkSafe was assessing its role in the next stage of the investigation. Police had signed an information sharing protocol with the agency to prevent duplication as inquiries begin.
"A number of police staff from around the country will be assisting with this next phase of work," Anderson said.
WorkSafe's role would centre on organisations with a duty of care for people staying at the holiday park and whether health and safety responsibilities were met.
All six victims had been formally identified by Saturday night, allowing their families to be reunited with their loved ones.
They had been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50; Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20; Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71; Susan Doreen Knowles, 71; Sharon Maccanico, 15; and Max Furse-Kee, 15.
Anderson said police were "very relieved" for the families and acknowledged the events of the last week-and-a-half had been "extremely difficult".
"While we cannot take the pain away, we hope that being reunited with their loved ones can help give them some closure."
Anderson also showed his appreciation for the significant effort from police, partner agencies and volunteers during the operation.
At its peak, nearly 100 police staff were on site each day.
"We all had one goal, and that was to reunite families with their loved ones, but also to support these families through what has been an incredibly difficult time," he said.
"It has been a privilege to work alongside our colleagues, partners and volunteers for a common purpose."
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