Stanley Bay Landslide – What does this entail for Auckland homeowners?

Landslides are becoming more common with heavy rain in all parts of New Zealand.  Joanna Pidgeon has been interviewed in The New Zealand Herald about an unfortunate slip in Stanley Bay (read it here) and interviewed on The Panel Radio New Zealand News.

The first step is always safety – evacuate the property and warn your neighbours if they look to be in danger also.  Property damage is an insurance matter – contact your insurer, and contact Council for a compliance team to check if a damaged property is safe to occupy. Report broken utilities, and if there is flowing water, attempt to divert if this can be done safely, say with sandbags to prevent the slip from worsening.  Remove heavy objects which may be near the slip if this can be done safely, such as vehicles. Take photos if you can as this may help with insurance. EQC caps which relate to damaged land have been increased to $300,000 plus GST.  This relates to land under and within 8 metres of your house and outbuildings.  It also covers land under and supporting your main accessway (but not the driveway surface) for up to 60 metres.  It can also cover some retaining walls protecting your home.  Always make sure that your insurance is adequate as construction costs have risen and make sure all aspects of your property are covered, such as driveways.

When purchasing properties Land Information Memorandum can indicate soil issues or overland flowpaths, and these should always be considered along with topography of your property when purchasing as to whether there might be potential problems.