SkyCity fire management enters recovery

AUCKLAND: The battle against the SkyCity inferno is moving into the ‘‘recovery phase’’, which includes the removal of millions of litres of contaminated water used to douse the flames.

Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) said yesterday although most of the fire had been extinguished, there would still be the odd flareup over the next few days.

SkyCity casino reopened at 8pm last night, and nearby businesses were also reopening.

Parts of Wellesley, Nelson and Hobson Sts remained closed and central city workers were being urged to stay away again today.

Diversions are expected to worsen rush hour traffic as Aucklanders head away for the Labour Weekend holiday.

Fenz said firefighters were moving to a ‘‘recovery phase’’, which involved finding and extinguishing hotspots in the roof structure as well as any fire inside over the next few days.

That also involved clearing about 8 million litres of water, fouled by burning materials, that had accumulated in the Convention Centre’s basement car park.

Watercare estimated the fire fight had used nearly 30 million litres of water.

Auckland Council’s Safeswim manager Nick Vigar said that water had initially been pumped into the stormwater network and out to the Viaduct Basin around Beaumont St.

A swimming alert was issued for nearby St Mary’s Bay.

By last night it had been transferred to the wastewater network, after Watercare confirmed the Mangere treatment centre could handle the water.

A council spokeswoman said they were not sure exactly how much contaminated water had entered the Hauraki Gulf, and water testing was still being done.

Hauraki Gulf Forum deputy chair Moana TamaarikiPohe said the effects on the harbour’s sensitive ecosystems could potentially be ‘‘huge’’.

‘‘The gulf is already stressed, and adding all of this contamination is hugely devastating.’’

The water had also flooded about 100 parked cars of SkyCity staff members.

SkyCity chief executive Graeme Stephens said staff would be compensated for any damage to their vehicles.

The chances of having the convention centre finished in time to host Apec in 2021 was ‘‘not clear’’, he said. — The New Zealand Herald