Port Hills rockfall placards replaced

Christchurch City Council has finished replacing expired Civil Defence red placards on the Port Hills and Lyttelton with new enforcement notices prohibiting entry to buildings in danger of rockfall or other geotechnical hazards.

Council staff and geotechnical contractors visited more than 500 properties this week to review the status of red placards issued during the Civil Defence emergency to houses at danger of rockfall or land movement. These placards expired on 12 July 2011 and, because of the extreme risk that remains in many areas, it was necessary to replace them with notices prohibiting entry under the Building Act.

Of the houses visited, geotechnical engineers assessed that placards could be removed from 108 homes. Ongoing assessments, monitoring of geotechnical hazards and remediation work in these areas has identified that some homes no longer face immediate risk.

This work did not assess properties for structural issues – it was focused on placards issued for geotechnical reasons.

Council’s General Manager Regulation and Democracy Services Peter Mitchell says the geotechnical placard replacement process carried out this week ensured a continuation of the hazard protection measures that had been put in place following the 22 February earthquake.

“In most cases, the risk from rockfall other geotechnical hazards remains high and it is imperative that we keep people away from dangerous areas. The safety of residents is the most important factor in the issuing of these notices and where necessary the Council will take a cautious approach.
“Since February the Port Hills area, including Lyttelton, has been under assessment by geotechnical engineers so that danger areas can be identified and remediation carried out where necessary. The 13 June earthquakes caused a set-back in this process, and we are now reassessing all areas before work to fix the problems is carried out.”

The notices issued this week under section 124 of the Building Act prohibit entry to buildings and are being enforced. However, advice from geotechnical experts indicates that in most cases it is acceptable for people to be on their land for short periods of time as long as they remain outside their buildings. This allows people to carry out tasks such as feeding stock or mowing lawns.

Please note: there are some cliff collapse danger situations where people should not be on the property at all. Fencing has been put in place in these areas, however if you are concerned about a cliff face near your property, please email porthillsgeotech@ccc.govt.nz to raise the issue.

If residents require longer term access or would like access to buildings to remove possessions or undertake some minor repairs, please contact the email address above and we will work with you to ascertain your needs and work out how we can help.