Anxious wait for some Omokoroa property owners after landslides

John Cufflin, who lives in Kowai Grove, Omokoroa standing at the edge of major slip which took out part of his backyard and a major chunk of the neighbouring property. Photo/File

Some Omokoroa residents face weeks of uncertainty after damaging slips on their properties and are awaiting expert advice whether they can return to their homes.

Five houses - one each in Harbour View Rd, Beach Grove, Kowai Grove, and two neighbouring homes in McDonnell St - remain empty as EQC engineers investigate these properties.

A Beach Grove home also remains empty after huge slip.

McDonnell St resident Jody Sawyers and her partner Rhys Bradford are staying with friends in Papamoa after waking on April 7 to a gaping hole in their back section.

An estimated 5000 cu m of soil had slipped away and Easter weekend they lost another 2m of their backyard as the slip crept closer to their home.

Ms Sawyers said it was not just the uncertainty that was stressful but she now had a 80km commute to and from work each day, instead of the usual 4km.

"Our insurers are just waiting on a geotechnical assessment report and have told us it could be six to eight weeks before we know whether our home has been compromised."

Her neighbours John Cufflin and his wife also lost the edge of their backyard.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council engineering staff are continuing to closely monitor existing slip sites and affected properties.

Peter Clark, council's development engineering manager, said occupants of six houses had self evacuated after the first slip. Five houses remained empty and were being checked by EQC engineers.

Council staff were monitoring and closing public walkways where needed and were working with affected parties to find solutions, he said.

A section of road along the lower part of Harbour View Rd remained closed because of tension cracks on private land above the road.

Harbour View Rd property owners Paul and Corrinne Devitt have spent $25,000 on five truck loads of metal to help stabilise their vacant section after a huge slip came down from a property above.

Mr Devitt said he was convinced a permanent solution would be found, and he was now waiting for geotechnical engineers to come back to him with their plans.

Over Easter weekend two houses in Cambridge Rd, Tauranga also lost part of their backyards.

A Tauranga City Council spokesman said staff who visited on Good Friday arranged safety fencing and for affected residents to get geotechnical advice.

"The site is being monitored weekly and EQC has commissioned a geotech assessment that will help residents and council decide what to do next," the spokesman said.