Sightseers warned to steer clear of cliff

The cliff has slipped 2m in a week. Photo / Dean Purcell

A cliff face in East Auckland continues to crumble, and council officers are warning curious people to stay away.

Part of Clovelly Rd in Bucklands Beach has been a danger zone for almost a year since a landslip last August.

The cliff face has since deteriorated, losing a metre last week and a further metre since Friday.

It is now a matter of when the cliff side will crumble - a sight many people want to see.

But Manukau City Council officers are warning people walking on the beach foreshore beneath the cliff face that they risk serious injury or death.

"It's not a case of, 'It won't happen to me'," group manager of environmental operations Carole Todd says.

A large number of people turned out at the weekend to see if the cliff would finally crumble.

The presence of council security staff on site and warning signs posted about 300m away from the cliff face, on the beach foreshore, has not stopped people from daring to go near the cliff.

"It's a case of it will happen and someone could be injured or even killed as a result of ignoring the warning signs," Ms Todd said. " People are curious. But that curiosity does present very real danger."

Former Manukau mayor Sir Barry Curtis owns the property sitting directly on top of the cliff face.

His house is now condemned, as are several neighbouring buildings.

On Friday, Sir Barry said he was devastated that the state of his house had worsened.

The back of his house now teeters over the cliff. "It's shocking ... This tragedy which has beset me for 4 years is just devastating."

Sir Barry is now looking to take his case to the High Court, after his insurance company refused to pay out.

Council geo-technical experts have been inspecting the land movement and are due to continue investigations.

They also hope to gauge when more movement might be expected.