Big Auckland slip takes more land
A second landslide has torn away another chunk of a carpark in Auckland’s Birkenhead and is creeping towards businesses.
What began as a crack in the public carpark, in August, has steadily worsened. The back half of the carpark slipped down a gorge on October 8.
Now, a second landslide has appeared directly next to the initial slip, on the western side, and the edge of it is a lot closer to the back of a block of shops.
The kerb that joins the Rawene carpark access road to the pavement is split apart like a broken zipper. The slip is visibly a lot steeper in appearance compared with the initial slip in October but not as deep.
Auckland Transport’s Mark Hannan first announced there had been another slip via a media release on November 28 at 5pm.
Hannan said yesterday there was no overnight movement of the site following the second slip.
‘‘Building inspectors have assessed surrounding properties and there continues to be no indication of a risk to those properties,’’ Hannan said.
‘‘Specialists are continuing to monitor the site and stabilisation work has been paused while the impact of the second slip is being investigated.’’
Hannan said a piece of equipment fell about 3 metres.
Kaipa¯ tiki Local Board chairwoman Danielle Grant said the board was waiting for reports to gain a better understanding of the next steps.
Claire Balfour, chairwoman of the nearby Mokoia Apartments body corporate, said residents were concerned about the significant drop in the car park when it first appeared almost three weeks before the slip happened.
She said the asphalt had originally been poured onto unstable land without a retaining wall and was ‘‘an accident waiting to happen’’.