Geologists and geotechnical engineers inspecting the Mauao landslide and affected walking tracks have provided their latest assessments to Tauranga City Council, with a total of 42 landslides identified on the site’s walking tracks.
The Council says 24 of the landslides found by WSP engineers fall within the ‘Moderate, Moderate–Severe, and Severe’ categories, indicating locations where track reinstatement is likely to require more than simple cleanup, while 12 are in the ‘Severe’ category.
“The impacts of these generally involve high complexity, higher cost, longer timeframes, and often require staged or multi-disciplinary interventions,” Council said in a statement.
WSP has installed a smart monitoring system on the hillside to monitor any early signs of ground movement. The system uses seven cameras along with sensors fixed into the ground to continuously track what’s happening on the slope.
Behind the scenes, a computer system analyses the camera footage in real time. If it detects movement above a set threshold, an alarm is triggered.
The Council says the ground‑based sensors add another layer of protection by measuring movement, changes in orientation, crack development, and rainfall intensity.
“Together, these tools give experts clear, up‑to‑the‑minute picture of how the slope is behaving, allowing them to respond quickly and help keep the community safe,” it stated.
