Supplies are being delivered to communities that have been isolated by landslips and flooding, such as Piha, Karekare, Te Henga Bethells Beach, and Muriwai. Video / Auckland Emergency Management
Tensions are rising in cyclone-battered Piha over whether to reinstate road access to outsiders amid fears an influx of tourists could open abandoned homes to the risk of looters.
Cash-strapped businesses starved of customers for nearly two months had hoped the cordons would be relaxed in time for the Easter long weekend, though it’s now understood this is more likely soon after the holiday.
However, residents forced from their red-stickered homes by devastating flooding and slips that smashed the beach-side community on February 13 say their properties remain exposed and vulnerable.
Criminal lawyer Vicki Pomeroy’s Marine Parade South boathouse and neighbouring Airbnb are uninhabitable. She wants the road to remain shut and for Auckland Emergency Management to send security guards to patrol deserted streets and protect people’s belongings.
“If they’re going to red-sticker our houses and prevent us going there to secure them then they need to put adequate security in.”
The Herald reported last month that locals pinned a burglar after he allegedly assaulted an elderly woman in her home on Glenesk Rd. The teenager, who has been charged with assault and burglary, was reportedly part of a group staying at a nearby Airbnb that attempted to break into several other properties.
Vicki Pomeroy surveys the inside of her Marine Parade home which was inundated by a slip during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / George Heard
Pomeroy said a surfboard had been stolen from her unoccupied house. She was also aware of a non-resident making it through the cordon before being found at another red-stickered Marine Rd South property.
A woman who runs a local commercial enterprise - who did not want to be identified - said businesses and Airbnb operators were struggling and needed customers to return.
But the road access issue was extremely sensitive and dividing the community.
She said some Piha residents had gotten used to solitude since outsiders were barred from entering the settlement during the immediate cyclone recovery, and were happy for the cordons to remain.
A Piha resident salvages personal belongings from his home after being cut off by floodwaters. Photo / George Heard
Others wanted access reinstated so Piha could return to how it once was.
The two main issues were unprotected houses, and a major slip affecting traffic access on Piha Rd.
“As far as I’m concerned those problems can be alleviated and managed, then it’s back to business as usual,” said Pomeroy.
“But a lot of the population forget what business as usual is, so they don’t want it.
“They forget [Piha is] an Auckland resource and it’s not a private property.”
A sign on Piha's Rayner Rd where properties were badly damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Dean Purcell
Peter McNally and his partner Leanne fled their property on North Piha Beach when the cliff face above gave way during the storm. Their house has been red-stickered and they are now “in limbo”, living in a rental while awaiting reports from insurance and geo-technical assessors.
McNally said while the road was supposed to be closed, people were still making it to Piha and those manning the cordon were regularly copping abuse.
“They reckon they’ve turned a couple of hundred around but who knows.”
There were many opinions on whether access should resume and when that should occur, he said.
“We don’t really care but a lot of people are getting pretty wound up.”
A landslide took out homes in Piha during Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / George Heard
Auckland Council deputy recovery manager Mace Ward said west coast communities such as Piha, Karekare and Muriwai were severely affected by the cyclone. Cordons remained in place with access limited to residents and emergency personnel.
“For some in Piha, there are also ongoing security concerns, adding to the existing feelings of distress that are remnants of the storm itself. We have a duty of care to all Aucklanders and are committed to supporting those who have been affected as they begin their journey to recovery.”
Under Civil Defence powers, Auckland Emergency Management could close roads, and Piha Rd remained closed to the general public.
“We want to reassure Aucklanders that this decision was not made lightly but safety must come first. We are working through a recovery plan and have committed to engaging with the community as part of this process. Once a decision has been made, this will be communicated to the wider public.”
