'Stumble along in the dark': Mount café owner on months of uncertainty

A Mount Maunganui cafe owner says she is being worn down by six months of uncertainty, with the latest landslip reactivation over the weekend deepening fears about how much longer she can hold on.

Michelle Craig, who runs the Beach Hut Cafe near the base of Mauao, said the pattern of "slippage on top of slippage" had become the defining feature of the past six months since January's slip crashed down onto the Mount Maunganui Holiday Park and killed six people.

""It's a little disappointing, but these things happen now, and they've been happening frequently."

She was relieved the area had already been closed off when the most recent slip occurred, with the mood locally staying relatively steady.

"People are reacting differently because it's not a fatal slip. The sunshine is out, people are still coming, all our lovely regulars have been in to visit us, so it's okay, but obviously it's really quiet still."

Craig said continued slip activity raised the risk of further delays to reopening, but said business owners had no timeline to measure any delay against in the first place.

"There are three single mums in three businesses along here. There are people trying to pay their mortgages and just get by, as well as support their staff who are also trying to pay their rent and live. It's really tough," she said.

"We don't know what delayed looks like because we don't have an opening time. We just stumble along in the dark. We don't know anything."

The local business community had rallied together to survive, she said, pointing to a charity initiative run by Unity Aotearoa that lets people buy a "virtual" $5 coffee, with proceeds shared among businesses on the strip.

She said at least one nearby business had already closed, with its lease not renewed because of high costs and ongoing uncertainty.

"There's no communication about planning, there's no timing, there's no referencing, and they're not including us in the reactivation, so we actually don't know what's happening. It's difficult."

Reopening Mauao — even just for walking access — would make a real difference, she said.

"I'd love be able to walk up the mountain. I miss it, and I think everyone misses it. We love it. A lot of people have poo-poohed the idea that there's some spiritual connection, but honestly, I think we can all agree now — we feel it. We all feel it. We miss it."

Tauranga City Council recovery manager Charlie Rahiri acknowledged the impact the continued closure had on nearby businesses.

"It means that foot traffic is not here, and we're continuously mindful of that. It has an enduring impact on the economy, as we know and as we can see. But Mount Maunganui is open. Mauao was closed."

Rahiri said the continued land movement meant other slip sites on the mountain would need to be reassessed, which would delay remediation works.

Two further assessments were under way — a Quantitative Landslide Risk Assessment, with results expected soon, and a WorkSafe investigation — with a further update on the road closure due this week.