1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: The government's signaling it might take over the investigation into 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: the mountmonganu We landslip tragedy. At the moment, hoting a 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: City council is leading the investigation into its own actions. 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: The government's also set aside a couple of million dollars 5 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: for relief. Mark Mitchell is the Minister for Emergency Management 6 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: and Recovery Home. Mitch hi, Heather, why not just announce 7 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: that you're taking over the inquiry? 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 2: Well, we can't. 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 3: The council decide itself in terms of what they're going 10 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 3: to do around their own inquiry. But yeah, I was 11 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 3: just very clear and I took a recommendation to Cabinet 12 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 3: today that I felt and the Prime Minister felt exactly 13 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 3: the same way, that we should do. 14 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 2: A government inquiry and that was agreed to. 15 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 3: So now we've got Chris penk who's just been appointed 16 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 3: as my associate, who'll go away and work ut terms 17 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 3: of reference on that. 18 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: Right, So you're definitely doing one, are you? 19 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 2: Yes, we're moving here with an inquiry. 20 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: Actually, well, in that case, what's the point in the 21 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: council doing one? Should you not just basically suck up 22 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: their inquiry into yours? 23 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 2: Yeah? I have spoken to the mayor. 24 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 3: I spoke with Maye Drysdale, and of course he's got 25 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 3: to go away and consult with his counsel and chief 26 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 3: executive and they can make their own decision on that. 27 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 3: They may decide to proceed still with their own inquiry, 28 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 3: but we just felt that it was very important too 29 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 3: well much. 30 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: Why would they do that? That would be just anutter 31 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: waste of their money, wouldn't it be? 32 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, look, I agree, but that's a better 33 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 3: question for them than for me. They're just gonna have 34 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 3: to they obviously they will have to work through their 35 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 3: own process in terms of what they want to do. 36 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 3: But Mahi knows that that we're committed to doing a 37 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 3: government inquiry. 38 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: Okay, what are you going to look into as part 39 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: of the inquiry? What are the terms of reference here? 40 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:37,759 Speaker 2: Well, that's the terms. I mean. 41 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 3: The most obvious thing is that the families have got 42 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 3: lots of questions that they want answered, the community has 43 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 3: got lots of questions that they want answered, and I 44 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 3: think the country. 45 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: So are you going to look so much? Are you? 46 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: Are you going to look at what happened that day, 47 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: the warnings the council got and whether they were response 48 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: responsive enough. 49 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 3: So that will all be contained within the terms of 50 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 3: reference for the inquiry. And we've decided Chris has been 51 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 3: tasked by cabinet to go away and work that up 52 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 3: at the moment and we'll bring it back to cabinet. 53 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: And presumably you'd look at what happened with the emergency 54 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: services receiving warnings as well. 55 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I think everything involved with the with what's 56 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 3: happened there at the the tragy at the mount will 57 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 3: obviously be covered. But the actual but the but the 58 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 3: definitive terms and exactly how far it's going to be 59 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 3: and how far that will reach as yet to be determined. 60 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 1: And are you going to look into the trees removal? 61 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 2: Look, I don't know. 62 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 3: I haven't received any briefing or information on that, but 63 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 3: the but my expectations the inquiry would cover all of that. 64 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: Because this seems like there is a thing here. Have 65 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: you looked at the photographs of the trees and what 66 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: has been removed in the last decade. 67 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 3: I haven't seen. No, I haven't seen photos of that. 68 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 3: And look, to be honest with you, at the moment, 69 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 3: I'm still really focused on getting out people out of there. 70 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 3: We've still got we've still got you know, we've still 71 00:02:56,320 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 3: got Kiwis buried in that mud, and family's waiting, and 72 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 3: that is torturous for them as every day goes by. 73 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 3: So the full focus for me is just doing all 74 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 3: that we can to make sure that our outstanding first 75 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 3: responders are safe and that we expedite and we get 76 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 3: our people out of Mitch. 77 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: The reason I'm asking you about this is because there 78 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: seems to be a problem. The two most pronounced slips 79 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: that we've had in the last week are the slip 80 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 1: obviously at Mount Monganui, but also the slip at Tayruh. 81 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: And in both cases, if you talk to the people 82 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: and if you haven't listen to what people are saying, 83 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: it's council actions potentially that lead to these slips. So 84 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: in the case of Mount Monganui, it's a whole bunch 85 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: of trees that were removed, presumably Perhudicawa to prevent myrtle rust, 86 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: not replaced. In the case of Tyruer, it sounds like 87 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: what people think has happened here as the council's bulldozed 88 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: to track through to lays some pipes maybe twenty years ago. 89 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: It'scores a series of slips. So there are questions to 90 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: answer about what council is doing to make our land unstable. 91 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 2: Isn't there? 92 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, And look, councils are pretty proactive in terms of 93 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 3: trying to identify their risks and then you know, and 94 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 3: mitigate and come up with a plan with them. Just 95 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 3: to put some context around it, we had two hundred 96 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 3: and two hundred and forty four slips, and those are 97 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 3: big ones that we know about. There were literally would 98 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 3: have been hundreds of much smaller ones in betyards and 99 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 3: things like that. Yeah, and they're an issue for us 100 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 3: without a doubt. And look, those issues that you raise 101 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 3: are absolutely legitimate and they need to be looked at. 102 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 3: And certainly in the case of the mount where we've 103 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 3: had a tragedy there where we've still got our people 104 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 3: Kiwis and of course sadly a young Swedish backpacker you know, 105 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 3: in that landslide. 106 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 2: We just want to get them out. 107 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: Now, the money, what's the money for the money? 108 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 3: Primarily what we announce today is what we have what's 109 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 3: called a mirror relief fund. And so the previous nineteen 110 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 3: local States emergency that I've been to. Sometimes the mayors 111 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 3: will request some money from that Meal Relief Fund and 112 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 3: I'll release that sometimes they won't. 113 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 2: And quite simply what it. 114 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 3: Is is just to meet immediate needs of the community 115 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 3: on the ground and get some money quickly out to 116 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 3: the council. So they've got some discretionary spend there to 117 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 3: be able to get some immediate help to them. It's 118 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 3: not designed for a medium or long term part of 119 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 3: the recovery. 120 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 2: It's just immediate needs. 121 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 3: So we've put one point two million dollars into top 122 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 3: that up. Normally I run that at about three hundred thousand, 123 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 3: and of course there's a million dollars there too to 124 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 3: support and help and help them Mariah replenish because they 125 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 3: have they as in the case with this one, they 126 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 3: always have a big role where they step forward and 127 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 3: really support communities when they need it the wholy community 128 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 3: to do so. Yeah, that so the one point two 129 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 3: that's gone to the mill really funders community organizations. 130 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 2: You know, there's rural support groups that step up. 131 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 3: The community organizations actually on this one either have quite 132 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 3: simply been outstanding because we had five or six communities, 133 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 3: small communities that were literally completely cut off. And so 134 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 3: that meal REALLYEF fund is just a way of getting 135 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 3: some money immediately into. 136 00:05:58,400 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 2: Groups like that. 137 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: All right, listen much, thank you very much to appreciate 138 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: your time. It's Mark Mitchell, the Minister for Emergency Management 139 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 1: and Recovery. Now on the investigation. Marhad Riisdale, who's the 140 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: mayor of TOTALNG is just how the press conference in 141 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,239 Speaker 1: the last forty five minutes here you still going ahead 142 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: with his council review. 143 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 4: We will work with government and obviously we had announced 144 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 4: an independent review. We are currently looking at the moment 145 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 4: as to how we deal with that, but knowing how 146 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 4: long some of these inquiries can take, it is likely 147 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 4: that we will will continue with our review. 148 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 2: Now. 149 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: He was asked the obvious question, which is why you're 150 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: going ahead with your own review, because you're marking your 151 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: own homework, and this is what he had to say. 152 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:48,480 Speaker 4: It's certainly another level of independence and that is very 153 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 4: much while we are supportive of it, we want to 154 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 4: know what happened in any lessons that can be learnt 155 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 4: for that obviously being a government inquiry, we expect it 156 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 4: to be a much wider ranging inquiry. And you know, 157 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 4: as I said, we're just working through the details, but 158 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 4: we still think there is merit in doing a review 159 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 4: and bringing all the facts and all the decisions that 160 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 4: we made as a counsel. 161 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: And what do you have it for? More from Hither 162 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: dou Glassy Alan Drive. Listen live to news talks it'd 163 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.