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Manukau City Council has warned people to stay away from the beach below Clovelly Road in Bucklands Beach, saying a massive amount of material will slide down the crumbling cliff face avoe it.
Two cliff-top apartments owned by former Manukau Mayor Sir Barry, worth about $1.5 million in total, may have to be demolished following the large landslip over the weekend.
Sir Barry and other residents from the set of three, 1970s, two-storey apartments in the upmarket east Auckland suburb of Bucklands Beach, were evacuated on Monday along with two neighbouring houses because of fears for residents' safety.
The council said significant movement occurred overnight and director economic Rick Walden said it was a case of when, not if, the cliff would fall.
"The ground cracks have widened significantly, and we are advised that the rock will give way at some stage. We have also been advised by our geotechnical specialists that this is caused by rock failure, rather than a slip.
"We don't know when it will fall, and that makes it even more imperative that people stay away from the area, including the beach."
The residents affected by the slip said land movement and damage to their properties began appearing several years ago. Sir Barry and a small group of fellow residents are taking legal advice over the land subsidence.
However, Manukau City Council has insisted the subsidence was an "act of nature", with only hairline cracks detected in the past.
The land along Clovelly Rd subsided over the weekend leaving several cracks in Sir Barry's apartment at the back of the complex which overlooks Eastern Beach in Manukau with a view towards Musick Point. Rock within the cliff face had fractured and given way.
'Shattering' experience
Sir Barry described his experiences as "shattering".
"You've got to go through this kind of experience, with glass breaking around you at two in the morning and loud cracks, to really appreciate that the movement of earth can be extremely dangerous," he told Radio New Zealand.
Problems with his home began three or four years ago when a small crack developed in the side of the building and was immediately identified as being the result of a landslip, he said.
"But it's really over the last week or 10 days that the landslip has accelerated and has now just destroyed the home."
At the time the first cracks appeared, Sir Barry said he sought "expert advice".
He said was unable to elaborate because of the legal implications.
"In fact, I've been told not to make any mention of the reasons for the cracking, or any remedies that were sought at the time.
"All I can say is it's the most distressing thing I've ever experienced and I'm very much in the hands of not only the lawyers, but also the wonderful support of the Earthquake Commission."
$2.1m complex
Sir Barry has lived in his flat for about 13 years with his partner of 25 years, Ann Sterling.
Boarded-up windows upstairs in the unit could be seen from a beach walkway next door to the property, which had also been closed. At the bottom of the cliff, the beach looks to have been cleared of debris - either by contractors or a raging tide - but several trees have slipped.
In 2005, Quotable Value valued Sir Barry's home at $860,000, the unit behind it which he also owns at $580,000 and the third apartment at $660,000, putting the entire complex at $2.1 million.
Although former colleagues have said Sir Barry owns property in several spots around New Zealand and is surely a multimillionaire, he lives modestly in the smallish flat.
Sir Barry, who set a New Zealand record by being elected eight times as mayor, was too distraught to speak about the slip yesterday.
"It's my home, it's where I've lived for a long time and I'm not making any comment to any media."
Last year, while speaking about his retirement as mayor after 24 years, Sir Barry told the Herald: "I've lived in Bucklands Beach all my life and I'll die in Bucklands Beach."
Evacuation
Roy Goodyear, who leases the other unit from Sir Barry with his 89-year-old mother Kathleen Clayton, returned from work on Monday to find his house surrounded by emergency services.
"We grabbed what we could and got out. When you're in a hurry you just look around and think 'right, what do I need?"'
They have stayed in a motel for four nights while geotechnical engineers assess the property but do not know where they will stay if they are unable to return.
"We're kind of in limbo at the moment."
The third apartment is owned by Stephen Wilton, who lives nearby on Waller Ave. He bought the unit in 2002 and it is currently rented to a couple with two young children.
"We have a very happy, very settled family living there and the main thing is that they're safe and can get access back to their home," Mr Wilton said.
A council spokesman this morning said there appeared to have been more movement overnight and there were signs of more damage to the properties, including shattered glass decking panels.
Meanwhile the council is continuing to monitor a landslip, about the size of a shopping mall, in Kawakawa Bay that led to six properties being evacuated last week.
