The slip at a Moiri Place home in Maungatapu. Photo / Sandra Conchie
A man living near the family home in Maungatapu where a landslide forced the occupants to evacuate says he and his family feel “safe’' and stayed put last night - despite official advice to evacuate.
The man, who asked not to be identified, said firefighters recommended he and his family also evacuate but they decided to stay put because they did not feel unsafe.
“None of us are concerned, as the slip is not affecting our property. It hasn’t moved since it first came down and there have been no further slips.
“There was no risk to us ... and everyone is safe,” he told the Bay of Plenty Times today.
Emergency services and geo-tech engineers were called to a Moiri Place address about 4pm yesterday after a large slip earlier surrounded the home’s garage, pushing a car forward and stopping just under the eaves.
The house is down a long, shared driveway.
The Tauranga property andsurrounding areas are being assessed for damage today by Tauranga City Council geo-tech engineers.
Fire and Emergency NZ Bay of Plenty district commander Jeff Maunder earlier said there were initial concerns about people missing, but when firefighters arrived, they found the family - a couple and their baby - inside the home.
The slip had not entered the house, and the family was evacuated because of the risk of a secondary slip, he said.
The couple has declined to comment to the Bay of Plenty Times.
The nearby resident said he and his children were at home when the slip happened about midday.
“I heard the slip come down but there wasn’t a large noise, it just sounded like a truck tipping a load of gravel. It looks like the slip contains dead trees and plant matter, and the dirt is dry”.
Geo-tech engineers carrying out an assessment of the damage visited the property again today, he said.
The resident said they were waiting to hear back from the engineers.
After the engineers visited the man’s property, a large truck with a big digger on its deck was seen heading down the driveway of the evacuated property.
Geo-tech engineers also visited residents in Tutauanui Cr, which is above where the slip happened, earlier today.
One resident told the Bay of Plenty Times that no one in the street had been evacuated and he was “not worried” about further slips.
In a written statement today, Tauranga City Council confirmed it was told about the slip affecting private properties about 4pm.
“Council engineers worked together with Fire and Emergency NZ and police into the evening to assess the slip and they were onsite to determine if there was a risk to people or property.
“Engineers and geotechnical experts were onsite again this morning to reassess the slip and found there is no immediate risk to people living in the properties.
“This assessment has been shared with the property’s owners, who are preparing to clean up and undertake any necessary works.”
The council said that if anyone saw any further signs of land movement, they were advised to self-evacuate and call emergency services immediately.
Neighbour Shaughn Prestidge earlier said he had noticed a large amount of water flowing from a large bank behind their properties.
He was so concerned when he noticed it last year that he employed drain layers to divert the water under his driveway to the roadside.
“I got concerned with the other slips at the other end of Maungatapu earlier this year. I could see we had problems, so I got it done.”
In February, a landslide on Egret Ave resulted in the evacuation of 24 homes, and five homes were identified as uninhabitable as a result.
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news.