REMEMBER WHEN

Saturday, March 4, 2006

A HANDFUL of residents evacuated their homes amid fears of more mudslides at Burleigh Heads.

At least five hilltop villas on Vantage Point Drive were under threat after a shift of more than 30 metres of land during heavy storms.

The occupants of the villas found temporary shelter – the sheer, 10-metre-deep slide directly backs onto the back yards of their properties.

Residents were too distraught to talk to the media, but told emergency service crews they felt the vibration and heard the shift after 9pm.

Council-commissioned engineers, including the geotechician working on the infamous Currumbin Hill slip, assessed the damage at Burleigh Heads.

A drainage system was set up to divert stormwater run-off away from the landslide and a tarpaulin was erected to cover part of the slip.

Authorities said that large cracks had formed along the edge of the properties and they feared the cracks could spread and cause more land to shift.

Gold Coast City Council’s engineering services acting director Bob Cunningham said that diverting run-off would help dry out the area.

“We can’t do too much until the rain stops. But we hope by diverting the water and covering the area with a tarpaulin it won’t slide any further,” he said.

“Both a structural engineer and a geotechnician are looking at the best ways to fix the slip.”

Mr Cunningham said that while the slip was not as catastrophic as Currumbin Hill, there was a possibility the damage could spread.