Landslip house uninhabitable

The slip on the Rimutaka Hill Road closed the road for some time.

The owners of a Picton house hit by a landslip yesterday have been told the property is temporarily unfit to live in.

Residents of the Milton Terrace property escaped injury when the slip smashed through a bedroom wall about 4pm as torrential rain battered the upper South Island and lower the North Island.

Marlborough District Council Building Control group leader Bill East said the landslide was caused by run-off from the hills about the property.

The house owners, who are in England, have been told the tenants can't return until a full assessment has been made.

Council operations and maintenance engineer Stephen Rooney said Picton's sewage overflow stopped mid-evening as the rain eased.

The total overflow from all sites was estimated to be about 1500 cubic metres with almost all of it discharging into waterways and into Picton Harbour or the Picton Marina. However, this should be flushed from the harbour after two tide cycles, Mr East said.

In the meantime, members of the public should take extra care and wash their hands thoroughly if they come into contact with the contaminated water.

Another slip near Taupo reduced State Highway One to one lane for over seven hours last night.