Aerial footage shows the severity of the damage caused by flooding in Auckland.
Video / Pool
A striking $10 million cliff-top mansion in one of Auckland’s most coveted streets has been red-stickered after a deadly slip left it teetering on the edge.
The 1970s house in upmarket Remuera, designed by architect Claude Megson, was renovated last year and sold for more than $10 million.
On Friday January 27, when torrential downpours battered the super city, a landslide on the exclusive Arney Rd property saw carefully cultivated plantings at the rear of the property slip down the cliff and a gaping chasm appear underneath the multi-million dollar premises.
The Arney Road property has been red stickered after the record Auckland rainfall. Photo / Michael Craig
The cascade of rubble hit the house beneath on Shore Rd claiming the life of Museum of Transport and Technology volunteer David Lennard. His son, who was also in the house at the time, managed to escape despite being initially trapped by one of his legs. The home has since been demolished.
Now the Arney Rd property’s foundations have been left exposed, and the property teeters on the edge of a sheer drop.
Auckland Council has red-stickered the mansion - now owned by David Youn and Miji Suwoon according to property records, meaning it cannot be used and entry is prohibited.
A neighbour told the Herald the cliff-top property was the only one on the street damaged in the deluge and surrounding properties were not affected.
When asked if the house will be demolished, a council spokesperson said any conversations about the status of a property would be held between the council and the owner.
“It would not be appropriate for us to share that information publicly.”
The red sticker notice on the front gate to the property. Photo / Michael Craig
The property was built about 1970 for its original owner Joan Mayes, who now lives nearby in a smaller home. It is still referred to in architectural circles as the Mayes house.
Before the devastating storm, the house was set on an elevated 1102 sqm section.
It featured a number of living spaces, a generous master suite with a bathroom and three further bedrooms.
Until the landslide, it boasted a large deck at the back of the property surrounded by small trees and shrubs.
Striking cliff-top mansion on Arney Rd renovated by architect Claude Megson before being sold for $10 million. Photo / One Roof
The January 27 downpour dumped record rainfall on the city, causing flash flooding, inundating homes, triggering slips and mass road closures.
Four people died in the storm, three in Auckland and one in Waikato.
Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) controller Rachel Kelleher said about 276 houses had now been red-stickered across the city.
A further 1590 houses had been yellow-stickered.
Last night 20 roads remained closed across Auckland as the disaster response moved into the “big clean-up” phase.
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said there were still many homes with flood-damaged furnishings, families who needed support, rubbish and debris on streets, and beaches and parks that needed clearing.
“I’m very proud of the tireless work our people, our councillors and local board members are doing to get Tāmaki Makaurau back on its feet.
“But we know there are still many Aucklanders who need help – as well as many who have already, and or want to, volunteer to help.”
Auckland Council staff and volunteer networks were on the streets in affected areas this week, knocking on doors to offer their support.
Simpson urged anyone who needed assistance to phone AEM on 0800 22 22 00.
And while mostly fine weather is forecast for the next few days, meteorologists warn that upper North Island regions recovering from the floods are likely to be in the firing line of more severe weather.
The house on Shore Rd in which a man died after a landslide hit the house. The property at 149a Arney Rd can be seen at the top of the picture. Photo / Alex Burton
Yet another cyclone is forming in the Pacific, packed with potentially damaging winds, big seas and heavy rain, and is set to bear down on already devastated areas.
MetService meteorologist John Law said a tropical cyclone will form in the Coral Sea around Thursday. It is then expected to move towards the east and south of New Caledonia before potentially hitting New Zealand this weekend.
Law said the cyclone is expected to strengthen to a severe category three storm and in a tweet MetService indicated that the centre of the system would come close to New Zealand’s shores.
“We’re keeping a close eye on the situation,” Law said.
“[It] has the potential to bring some significant impacts to us in New Zealand, particularly across the northern parts of the country, [it] could bring some heavy rainfall, some stronger winds and some higher seas as well.”
Meanwhile, Ray White Remuera agent Steve Koerber said the real estate market in and around the suburb would suffer from less stock being available over the next few months due to repairs and delays of homes that had planned to go for sale.
“Property in Remuera is intrinsically valuable due to the suburb’s proximity to the city and access to top schools. Some of my clients are having a very tough time and I’m doing everything I can to help them through it,” he said.
“Buyers won’t see the plethora of new listings they otherwise might have seen over the next month or so.”
Koerber said people only needed to look to Christchurch to see the aftermath of an event that negatively impacted people’s lives and property.
“The sun will shine again on the property market but for now there will be fewer sales than usual.”
