Location:

Bay of Plenty

Police have made the difficult decision to postpone recovery efforts at Mount Maunganui for today.

The search area was evacuated about 11.50am, after a contractor driver noticed potential instability on the face of the slip, Bay of Plenty District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson says.

“The safety of the people working on the recovery is at the front of our mind, and the risk today is too significant to allow us to carry on.

“Families have been told of the decision and our commitment to resume work as soon as possible.”