KEY POINTS:
One home is to be demolished and the fate of four others remains unknown this morning as inspectors continue their assessment of damage from a North Shore landslide.
The Lingham Cres homes in Torbay are among three North Shore sites which have been restricted by the North Shore City Council amid fears the land could give way.
North Shore City Council incident manager Paul O'Brien said assessors expected to know by this afternoon whether three surrounding homes were safe to return to.
A fourth home on Morice Place, owned by Tim and Ines Ford, will remain evacuated while assessors and the Earthquake Commission survey damage.
Mr O'Brien said two other homes at Mulberry Place in Glenfield had been evacuated for one month because of "land creep" which the council had been monitoring for several months.
An industrial site under development on Huka Rd in Birkenhead had also "slumped" but council staff expected the situation would be resolved quickly.
Mr O'Brien urged the homeowners of sloping properties to check their sections and monitor any areas of concern.
North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams said last night that the Torbay landslide had slowed from 750mm to 18mm.
Engineers had been taking five litres a minute from underneath the soil and had put polythene matting over it, hoping to prevent more rain expected today from hampering efforts to stabilise the land.
Mr Williams said the home that was to be demolished would require a retaining wall up to 10m deep to prevent it from causing damage to surrounding sections.
Hundreds of other North Shore homes could become affected by softened "Waitemata soil", but similar situations could arise anywhere around New Zealand after heavy rainfall, Mr Williams said.
Tim Ford, who is waiting for insurance assessors and the Earthquake Commission to decide if it is feasible for his home to be stabilised, said the family had found a rental property after two nights in a motel.
It was possible the home would be demolished.
"We're dealing with it. We've got three children aged 6, 7 and 8 so we're used to stress but this is prettybig.
"Everybody's been extremely supportive. The EQC guys, the engineers, the council - really, really good."
Meanwhile, engineers are assessing the damage of a slip in Birdwood Rd in Massey which was inching closer to homes yesterday.
Waitakere City Council spokesman Wally Thomas said the council had not asked residents to moveout, but they had done so of their own accord as a precautionary measure.
A large slip was 8m away from one home on Thursday night and 4m away by yesterday morning.
