A man woken to the sound of thunder as the hillside behind him collapsed on to his property says his neighbour was “lucky not to be pinned to his bed” when a tree limb speared his roof early today.
The large slip, which ploughed across the Twin Coast Discovery Highway, forced the evacuation of residents of 18 Waiwera properties, including the Waiwera Coach Trail Villas.
Villa resident Dave Preston, who was evacuated at 6.30am, told the Herald he was awoken by a huge crash just before dawn.
“We were still in bed, it was still dark – the sun was just rising – and we heard a huge crash.
“I thought it was thunder right over the house. That’s what it sounded like.”
Preston said his neighbour, who had moved into the complex only a few weeks prior, was lucky to escape uninjured.
“He was very close to being injured. The tree fell right through his roof.
“He was lucky not to be pinned to his bed.”
Preston, who is a member of the Waiwera Community Resilience Group, said he and others have been contacting the Auckland Council for months with concerns over the trees.
“We were asked to identify hazards on the tsunami evacuation route that runs alongside the apartments and we found the pine trees on both sides of the road were cause for concern.
“We’ve been calling the council for months trying to get the trees taken down, and now they’ve come down by themselves.”
He said he and other residents were frustrated by the council’s inaction.
The council has been approached for comment.
Hibiscus and Bays Local Board member Gary Brown told the Herald the Waiwera community had rallied around those who were evacuated after this morning’s slip.
“The Waiwera community have been offering people their homes, the hall that’s privately owned has given its key to the Community Resilience Group, and I believe the beach bar said it would be ready to help.”
Brown, who is also part of the Community Resilience Group, said the group raised concerns with the council this week.
He said the group had been well-prepared for weather-related emergencies.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand told the Herald they were alerted to a tree having fallen on the roof of a property in Waiwera and on to the road at 6.30am.
District commander Quin Webster said residents of 18 properties had been safely evacuated and everyone had been accounted for.
Crews from Silverdale and Pūhoi assessed a risk from a second tree and identified the fallen tree was caused by a landslide.
The council said its geotechnical expert confirmed there was “no immediate threat to life”.
“However, it is important that our next steps are carefully sequenced to limit any further impacts. This started with waiting for the rain to abate,” the council said.
“Auckland Transport’s engineers are currently completing their assessment and will then likely direct contractors to remove the trees, before moving on to the landslide debris. This needs to be done in a controlled way and may take some time.
“The council’s compliance team will assess building safety before anyone is allowed to return to the villas. This could include issuing dangerous building notices for any seriously damaged buildings.”