Hundertwasser Toilet custodians Sharon Davis, left, and Christine Kerr are worried about the survival of a Northland icon.
Hundertwasser Toilet custodians Sharon Davis, left, and Christine Kerr are worried about the survival of a Northland icon.
The head custodian at Kawakawa's Hundertwasser toilets is relieved the building is not in danger of collapsing - but says work is still urgently needed to prevent further damage.
Christine Kerr was among those to raise the alarm last month about accelerating subsidence at the loos, saying fresh cracks wereappearing, ground was slumping and beams were parting from walls.
The building had been settling since 1999 but the subsidence had picked up pace in recent months, she said.
An engineering firm commissioned by the Far North District Council confirmed the toilets were settling and pulling away from structures on either side, but found there was no danger of imminent collapse.
They recommended ongoing monitoring and preventing water infiltration under the building; the long-term options to re-level and repair the loos were to inject pressure grouting under the floor or, the more expensive option, to place new piles on either side of the footings.
Ms Kerr was pleased there was no immediate danger to staff or users, but remained concerned by ongoing damage. In the past week she had seen existing cracks spread and fresh ones appear.
The custodians had yet to see surveyors measuring movement of the toilets since the last survey three years ago, which she thought would have been a priority.
Although no engineer, she believed the option of adding extra piling was the best one in the long term.
