Ōmokoroa home damaged in 2017 cyclones to be demolished

The house at 37 McDonnell St is to be demolished. Photo / Supplied

An Ōmokoroa home damaged in a major slip during the cyclones of 2017 will be demolished and replaced with a small reserve and lookout area.

The house at 37 McDonnell St , which is owned by Western Bay of Plenty District Council, is to be demolished as soon as a sufficient stretch of fine weather allows, the council said in a statement today.

During the cyclonic storms Debbie and Cook in April 2017, a major slip tore out the backyards of both 37 and 39 McDonnell St leaving the house at 37 McDonnell teetering over the edge of a 30m-high slip above the sea.

The house lost its wastewater and water utilities, but was otherwise intact.

The house at 37 McDonnell St is to be demolished. Photo / Supplied

Following the storm, the council deemed the house too dangerous to live in under the Building Act.

Some time later, the Earthquake Commission (EQC) paid out a portion of the value of the lost land – approximately 25 per cent of the capital property value.

The house insurer declined compensation.

In March 2019, the owner approached the council with an offer to sell the property.

Western Bay of Plenty Council purchased it and took on liability to remove the house and create a small reserve on the land remnant.

Once the house is gone, the remnant land will be top soiled, re-grassed and fenced off - at full cost to the council.