Newspaper Article 2011 – Houses marked uninhabitable as storm victims clean up mess

Houses marked uninhabitable as Storm Victims Clean up mess

By Caitlin Nobes and Morgan Tait

The worst affected houses in Te Awanga have been red-stickered as unsafe and Ocean Beach residents are still cut off as the region begins the clean-up process from last week’s storms.

A public meeting on Friday gave Te Awanga residents access to Hastings District Council and other agencies for financial and accommodation assistance.

Te Awanga Motor Camp resident Howard Shields said the meeting was a welcome reprieve from the “horror story” at the camp.

‘”Some people have lost absolutely everything” he said. “So this is like a pooling of resources where we can get help and advice all at once.’’

The camp would have to be cleared by a health and safety officer before it could re-open.

There was dispute over which council department was responsible for re-opening camping facilities and how quickly it was being dealt with.

Spokesman Paul Evans said the council was doing everything it could to open the gates faster, but it needed to make sure the water supply was safe and sewage systems were working.

The council could not say how many homes in Te Awanga had been red-stickered as unsafe.

Ocean Beach Rd remained closed, and would be opened when silt on the road had been cleared. Residents had chosen to stay in their homes.

Parts of Waitangi Rd and Te Apiti Rd in Waimarama were also closed. The council expected both to open today.

Slips around Cape kidnappers had also damaged Cape Sanctuary’s predator-proof fence in eight places.

Sanctuary ecological advisor John McLennan said work had already started to repair the fence.

“It is an opportunity for predators to move in and for some kiwi to move out so there is urgency to get it repaired,’’ he said.

Work had also been done over the weekend securing Bluff Hill above the port where a slip last week required 18 homes to be evacuated.

The Earthquake Commission was sending assessors from Christchurch to examine the houses most affected by the slip.

NZTA spokesman Gordon Hart said Breakwater Rd was open with two temporary lanes.

When the risk of more slips had reduced, the debris would be cleared so the road could be opened as as usual.

Photo captions-

COMMUNITY: A public meeting at the Te Awanga Community Hall last week gave residents a chance to discuss options after last week’s flooding.
ON THE ROAD: Gordon Foster and David Field, from Hastings emergency management, walk the approach road to the Ocean Beach settlement.