Illegal earthworks could cause major slip

March 13, 2007

North Shore City Council has applied to the Environment Court for an order that would require a property owner to do remediation work to prevent a house from potentially slipping down a gully.

Council gave the owner of the cross-leased site in Tamahere Dr, Glenfield, consent to build a pole house, but with strict conditions on the amount of earthworks that could be done.

Work was carried out outside the scope of the consent, causing the risk of a slip on the site that could affect the house behind, as well as sewer and stormwater pipes running across it.

North Shore City Council customer services manager for Birkenhead and Northcote, Paul O’Brien, says an abatement notice was served on the owner late last week.

“It required them to do remediation work including cutting off a drain, laying polythene over exposed ground, putting a silt vent in, and filling some of the trenches that had already been dug,” he says.

“But that hasn’t satisfied an independent geotechnical engineer, and the situation for the house behind is sufficiently serious that we needed to take more drastic measures.”

Consequently, the council has applied to the Environment Court for an interim enforcement order, the outcome of which it expects to get in the next few days.

Meanwhile, because rainstorms are expected, council staff have put in place other measures in case a slip does occur. They include having a contractor on standby to divert the sewer pipe if necessary, and talking with the house tenants to ensure they understand the risk.

“Our council has thorough building and resource consent processes - for a very good reason. It’s our job to protect the environment, as well as ensure the safety of people and their property,” says Mr O’Brien.

Contravening conditions of a consent can carry a fine of $200,000 or two years in prison, under the Resource Management Act.

ENDS

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