Parnell Baths hit by slip

The public has been banned from parts of the Parnell Baths after a landslip left up to 80cu m of soil teetering on retaining fences.

Auckland City Council closed the carpark and the walkway to Pt Resolution yesterday afternoon, after a slip from the cliff behind the swimming complex left cracks at the top of the cliff.

The Pt Resolution staircase was closed after cracks appeared in the paved viewing area above the cliff.

Last night, parks services manager Mark Bowater said it was too early to tell whether the baths were threatened by the slip as he was waiting for an urgent engineers' report.

Mr Bowater said urgent work would be done to remove the soil from the retaining fences. The popular baths are closed at this time of year. They are due to reopen for the summer on November 1.