Mangatawa residents were urgently evacuated from their papakāinga after severe land slips and a large sinkhole threatened homes and infrastructure. For some residents the process was swift and unexpected.
“This was three days ago, about the 25th I think, and so I thought it was a weird message because we actually never got told and I said no we’re not evacuating and I think it was true and it was probably a preparedness type of thing but they actually didn’t prepare the people, they only prepared themselves,” said resident Maybelle McLeod.
“They should’ve actually prepared us for it, but we knew from the source from Whetu Marae (Te Whetu o Te Rangi) that we were gonna go there,” Maybelle said.
Despite the disruption, there is a sense of unity among the whānau gathered at Baypark Arena.
“We’re all here, we’re all in one good spirit, we’ve all just been told what is the happs and you know, we have to take it, we have to take there’s nothing we can do about it, some people have left animals up there, I think they’re arranging to get,” said Maybelle.
The community is also pulling together, with support already arriving.
He mea nui kia aro nui te tangata ki ngā tohu a te taiao i roto i ēnei wā uaua, hei tā tētahi o ngā kaimahi o Mangatawa Pāpāmoa Blocks Inc., a Ria Hall.
“Tērā pea me aro tā tātou titiro ki te Taiao me ngā tohu i puta i te taiao, ko ngā maunga e karapoti nei i te Moana o Tauranga ko Mangatawa tērā, ko Kōpukairoa tērā, ko Mauao tērā, ā, kua pākia e ngā maunga ēnei mahi tūkino, noreira, me whai whakaaro tātou ki te Taiao,” hei tā Hall.
“Tērā pea ka puta te āmaemae ki ngā whatumanawa o ngā kaumātua ētehi kaumātua kei te māuiui nareira he mea nui tērā me whai whakaaro mātou ngā mea rangatahi ki ērā āhuatanga engari kei konei ngā mokopuna e hīkaka ana i ngā kaumātua, kei konei ngā pakeke e Whakarongo ana ki ngā tohutohu o ngā tohunga. Nā reira kei te pai mātou,” hei tāna anō.
