Landslide-hit house at Te Ngaere Bay declared unsafe

A home at Te Ngaere Bay has been declared unsafe after it was hit by a slip in last week's torrential rain. Photo / Peter de Graaf

By Peter de Graaf

A house hit by a landslide during last week's torrential rain has been declared unsafe by council inspectors.

A young family managed to flee the two-storey home at Te Ngaere Bay, about 40km north of Kerikeri, moments before logs and mud engulfed the door they escaped from.

Firefighters estimated Thursday afternoon's slip was 50-60m high.

A spokesman for the Far North District Council said inspectors visited the Wainui Rd site on Monday and found the slip had stabilised but the house directly impacted remained unsafe.

A formal notice had been issued confirming it was not safe for habitation.

The family had alternative accommodation.

A home at Te Ngaere Bay has been declared unsafe after it was hit by a slip in last week's torrential rain. Photo / Peter de Graaf

It was now up to the homeowner and the insurance company to agree on remedy action.

Inspectors would reassess the home once the debris had been cleared and remove the notice when it was safe for the residents to return.

Inspectors had also spoken to the owner of the house at the top of the slip, he said.
That house was not thought to be in danger.

Neighbour Darryl Tilly told the Advocate the young father who lived in the house was digging a drain to clear flood water when he saw the hillside moving.

''Next thing, a slow avalanche of mud and trees came down. His wife was inside, I think he yelled out to her. She grabbed one kid under each arm and ran barefoot out the door like a rabbit.''

The area was cordoned off while the slip was still moving so it wasn't immediately possible to gauge the damage.

It was possible, however, to see a large volume of mud and pine logs piled up against the back and one side of the house.

According to MetService, the Wainui area recorded the region's highest rainfall during last Thursday's downpour.