Anxious wait for owners of slip homes

A contractor cuts up logs brought down by last night's slip in Eastbourne, Wellington. Picture / Mark Mitchell

The owners of two Eastbourne houses threatened by a slip should know more about the fate of their homes later today.

A major slip came down onto Marine Parade last night damaged one home and is threatening another.

One home was occupied, the other had been vacant since a previous slip.

Engineers from the Hutt City Council will assess the danger posed by the two undermined homes.

Paul Nichols from the Hutt City Council's civil defence office said it was an area where there have been a number of slips in the past so there has been ongoing monitoring.

He said today they will be looking at the safety of the houses and considering whether they are dangerous.

Mr Nichols said slips are becoming more of a problem with his office being activated more times in the last four years than at any other time, mainly for storm events and heavy rain.

It was a fact of life that people need to get used to and live with.

- NEWSTALK ZB