Work underway to stop further slip damage

Experts say the possibility of rain affecting the slip will keep residents out for some time yet. Photo / Ross Setford, SNPA

Work is underway to prevent today's predicted heavy rain causing further damage at a Wellington landslip which forced eight households to evacuate.

A 20-tonne digger was trucked to the foot of the landslip this afternoon to dig channels if water started to pond behind the toe of the slip, said Wellington City Council networks manager Stavros Michael.

Portable pumps on streets at the top of the landslide will be used to divert stormwater away from the top of the slip.

A stormwater main that drained the Priscilla Crescent area was destroyed in Saturday morning's landslide, and Mr Michael said a temporary extension had been installed to carry away as much water as possible.

The condition of the eight evacuated homes had not changed markedly overnight.

"We will make a call as to whether residents can go back to some of the houses later this week,'' he said.

"We will have engineers keeping a close watch on the slip and surrounding ground. We want to know if there is any further movement before we make a call on the evacuated houses.''

City Council welfare staff, welfare agencies, insurance companies and other organisations were working with the 35 residents left homeless, and security guards were keeping watch on the unoccupied houses.