2026 is well underway now and I hope you had an enjoyable, safe, and refreshing summer break. If you’re already back at work, like my team and I are, hopefully your new year is going well so far.
Unfortunately, it has been a very sad start for our region, with the tragic loss of six lives at Mount Maunganui and two in Welcome Bay. These terrible events touched the hearts of our city and our nation, with many across Tauranga and New Zealand reaching out to share their love, support, and compassion.
There has been a massive outpouring of love for the bereaved families, and I was proud to observe the courageous efforts of our first responders, emergency services and support agencies. Never have I had more respect and admiration for them as I do now. At all times they have acted with care and respect as they dealt with the initial landslip and subsequent recovery efforts, work that is unbearable to contemplate for many of us.
We have also lost some of the key facilities that drew visitors to Tauranga. The Mount walking tracks, the hot pools and the campground attracted customers for local businesses. Without these attractions it’s important for us as a city to show Mount restaurants, shops, cafes, bars, and activities that we are still here for them.
It will be comforting for the community to hear Tauranga City Council is holding an independent external inquiry into the catastrophe. The Government will also consider whether to hold our own independent inquiry. There may also be other enquiries led by the Coroner's Office, Police and Worksafe.
I would encourage people to visit the community memorial centre, He Maimai Aroha, at 249 Maunganui Road. If you have children or grandchildren, bring them! There are some really cool opportunities for them to get creative and make up some memorial cards for the victims and their families.
My sympathies go to those affected employers who have shown community spirit over the most stressful time imaginable. They’ve had to pay staff while not being able to earn revenue, had to discard spoilt stock while having to pay suppliers and pay rent without any customers entering their premises.
Some social media commenters have asked why they can’t claim insurance for loss of earnings, and I'd like to address that question. The sad reality is that income protection insurance is expensive for small businesses to procure and has many exclusions, conditions and stand down periods. I’ll be supporting these businesses as I always do, and I hope you do too.
I had the opportunity to speak in Parliament on the events in Mount Maunganui and Welcome Bay. If you would like to view it, please click here.
There have been several support teams down there doing incredible work to keep everyone fed and hydrated. I need to make a special mention of New World Mount Maunganui - Allan and his team were there consistently donating huge amounts of food, being made by the Rapid Relief Team onsite throughout. Little Drum Coffee and No Naps have been amazing and I’m pretty sure their baristas, working as volunteers, have made more coffees in a week then they would in month. Mauao Kaitiaki have been onsite throughout, leading families and first responders in karakia every day at 7am and 7pm. Some of these moments have been beautiful. There are also so many businesses from around the community that have sent in pies, pizzas, pastries, and all the other good things needed to feed an army of people working from dawn to dusk as hard as they can.
Our community has been outstanding; thank you for coming together and giving so much love and support and thank you once again to all the emergency services and first responders, you are legends.
Many constituents have asked how else they can help. So many attended the vigils, placed flowers, signed the condolence books, and sang in remembrance, and the families knew how much we all cared. Support opportunities are provided below:
There is an official Western Bay Emergency Response fund to support the recovery in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty https://www.acornfoundation.org.nz/give/western-bay-emergency-response-fund
- Tauranga City Council has established a Tauranga Mayoral Relief Fund to provide timely financial assistance to families, residents, and businesses experiencing urgent, unmet needs following the recent severe weather events across Tauranga. https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/culture-and-community/grants-and-funding/tauranga-mayoral-relief-fund
- Sue Knowles was a regular camper at Mount Maunganui and was sadly lost along with her friend Jackie Wheeler. Her friends have set up this fundraising page in her memory. https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/supporting-sue-knowles-family
- Lisa Maclennan lost her life trying to warn others to evacuate the camp ground: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/mount-maunganui-tragedy
- Hannah Furse, mum of Max, and her family and friends are grieving the loss of a son, brother, and friend just before his 16th birthday. https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/in-loving-memory-of-max-supporting-hannah-furse
- Carmine and Natalia Maccanico lost their young daughter and only child Sharon and self-employment means they’re doing it tough during their time of grief https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-us-support-the-maccanico-family
- A fundraising concert is being held this Sunday in support of the family of Austen Richardson and his grandmother Yao Fang, who were tragically lost in the Welcome Bay landslide: https://www.facebook.com/YourEnablerPresents/posts/pfbid02RGt7YcRksN3HAtFuXBhEXaYT2iPeKSHt8UFZcj6WavVMmYa9EA3eJ6whvFzw3psgl and there is also a fundraising page if you can't make it to the event https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/welcome-bay-landslip-familys-unimaginable-loss
- Another Welcome Bay family affected by the January landslips is homeless and they are fundraising for support to set up a new home. Dani, Bailey & Harlow could use some help to begin again. - https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/wiped-out-by-papamoa-landslide-dani-bailey
Thank you to everyone who has already helped in their own way. I'm proud to represent Tauranga, a city that has shown love and empathy to these bereaved families over the past week. Our city wrapped our arms around them all.
Please keep reading for a look back over the last couple of months and a preview of what’s coming up.
It was a pleasure to host Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Health, who visited Tauranga in January. We visited local business Cubro, who supply and distribute medical and health care equipment throughout New Zealand and overseas. Their Tauriko facility is cutting edge, complete with a mock-up of an operating theatre. We were impressed by the innovative technology they supply to hospitals, aged care residences, and private homes.
At Tauranga Hospital we met players in town for the Black Clash Rugby vs Cricket match who were visiting the elderly care and children’s wards. So great to see the smiles from sports fans meeting some of our country’s sporting celebrities.
Working in Wellington for much of the year means the time I get to spend with family is special. Our highlights of the summer break were fishing, swimming, shopping locally and visiting the Goldfields Railway in the Coromandel. We live in a stunning part of New Zealand and I feel blessed to call the Bay of Plenty home.
I’m proud to have been selected to represent the National Party as the Tauranga candidate in New Zealand's general election on Saturday 7 November. I’ll be getting throughout the current electorate boundaries while learning the new neighbourhoods of Lower Kaimai and Te Puna.
If you’d like to join my campaign team, please reply to this email – I’d love to add you to the volunteering group I’ll be setting up to help me in the lead up to the election.
We have some exciting member events coming up over the next few months:
- Monthly meetings with visiting MPs and Ministers over morning tea.
- On a Friday evening each month we meet with members at a different pub. I shout light refreshments and you can order what you like to drink.
- And we have our annual Bayleys International Race Day on Saturday 14 March at the Tauranga Racing Club. It’s $180 pp but if you book before 20 February, you’ll pay just $165 pp. That includes lunch and drinks with parking onsite. We have exclusive use of the Tokyo Room with plenty of table seating and our own private tote so you can bet on your favourite horses. National Party Sylvia Wood will be joining us.
If you join as a member you’ll automatically be invited to all events, but non-members can still come - just reply to this email to book your attendance or find out more. Even better, join up here: Become a Member | National Party. As always, thank you to all our members and volunteers for your support. We couldn't do this without you!
I’m looking forward to seeing you out and about this February. Enjoy the short week and take care out there.
Best regards,
Sam Uffindell
MP for Tauranga
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