Gisborne house torn apart by subsidence

A hillside house in Gisborne has started to tear apart in a large land subsidence while two neighbouring homes are also under serious threat.

The owners of all three properties have endured an agonising and heartbreaking few days since the slow slip accelerated on Friday night.

The worst-affected house on the northern side of the Ballance Street hill facing Valley Road, in the suburb of Whataupoko, teeters on the edge of the subsidence, with a 4 to 5 metre dropout just outside the front windows.

"It cannot be saved," says owner of the five-year-old home Brent Trethewey.

The whole hillside that the three houses sit on has been on the move.

One of the other homes threatened is owned by Mr Trethewey's son Ryan.

The other threatened house is owned by Richard Sherratt.

The families involved are "shocked" and "devastated" by the situation.

"The land movement was first noticed with a ripple in the ground and some hairline cracks here and there in early June," Brent Trethewey says.

"We advised the Earthquake Commission about it and they had someone carry out an initial assessment on June 13 -- 'Black Friday'. We have been trying to protect the property and hold it together until the EQC could get a full assessment completed on what was causing the subsidence," Mr Trethewey says.

"Then last Friday night, the land movement took off and the house started to break up.

"My wife Teresa and I are pretty devastated. Teresa is particularly upset. Tears have been shed by both of us.

"A lot of our anxiety relates to the uncertainty of the situation, not knowing what can be done to save the land we own until the engineers have finished their assessment.

"It's very frustrating for all of us."

Ryan Trethewey's house is next door, further up the hill.

"It's pretty devastating for Mum and Dad, and all of us," he said.

"We had to move the possessions out of all three house.

"We had been watching the early signs of subsidence since it started back in June but, on Friday, it just went like a bolt out of the blue.

"Last Thursday, everything looked pretty normal but since Friday the land below my house has dropped 1 to 1.5m, and then in front of Brent's house, lower down the hill, it's dropped 4 to 5m."

Mr Sherratt says at this stage his house has not sustained any damage.

"We are still holding on to the hope that our home can be saved, and realistically we feel it's a 50/50 chance."

The situation on the three properties was reported to Gisborne District Council on Saturday morning.

"The council issued dangerous building notices and evacuated residents from their homes for their safety," said the council's building and resource consents manager Ian Petty.

The situation was assessed by council staff on Saturday morning.

"We got further advice from geotechnical engineers and from Land Development and Exploration," Mr Petty said.

"They declared the properties to potentially be at risk.

"The engineers have assessed how to stabilise the area and work has started today."

Mr Petty said neighbouring areas had been assessed as well.

"The council has already contacted all affected property owners on the hill and in Valley Road below.

"No other properties are threatened."

Mayor Meng Foon says the slip has caused stress and hardship on the families involved.

"The council will do its best to help them."

From the Gisborne Herald

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