'I can't believe they got out' - Slip collapses Tauranga houses

Sunday, 29 January 2023

A number of homes were damaged by slips in the Tauranga suburb of Maungatapu.

A Maungatapu resident who helped neighbours escape their slip damaged house fears returning to her own home in the danger zone.

Maungatapu resident Hayley Vincent woke to a big “boom” and when she opened her ranch slider she heard screams and cries for help coming from the houses down below.

A slip had destroyed at least one house and damaged others in Egret Avenue Tauranga after heavy rain overnight Saturday.

“We ran down the drive and found family in the front house were trapped so we helped them out,” said Vincent. “One of their young girls was hurt and we tried to keep her calm until the ambulance arrived.”

“The bank had fallen 20m. It’s unbelievable

A house was crushed and has collapsed after a landslide in the Tauranga suburb of Maungatapu.

The Vincent family evacuated and Hayley is apprehensive about returning.

“There’s more bank behind us - it’s scary.”

The houses are now sectioned off by tape with police guarding the scene.

Neighbour Lynne Sampson lives further up the street in the suburb of Maungatapu and was woken up by the phone, with a friend asking if she was okay.

She rushed out to help.

“The bank came down on two houses and it’s clipped another by the looks. One is completely crushed.

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“It was just devastation. There were kids from the house crying. I can’t believe how they got out. The main thing is that they are all safe.

“There was a swarm of people trying to help them. Emergency services arrived really quickly.

The boys from the house told me that they had stock cars in the garage and said that there’s a bin destroyed.

“I really feel for them. I told them they could come to my lounge.”

Outside the house, a white car was also damaged by the landslide.

The slip also affected three other houses on the other side of the street, which were also evacuated.

Dina and Kelly Cotter live on Taipari Street at the top of the bank with their dog Lola. “We saw all the lights and thought there was a water rescue going on. It is only when we came down that we saw the houses and the bank and we were totally shocked.”

Cotter said neighbours who had not evacuated were worried fresh onslaughts of rain could move the slip further.

There is a row of houses on top of the bank.

“The worrying thing is that there’s more rain coming so there could be more slips, and look at the houses that are in the way“

Cotter said that nine houses were evacuated, including the two houses that had been destroyed .

Lynn and Bill Robinson live opposite the house that was crushed.

Bill said he heard what sounded like a hurricane then a huge thud. Then Lynn heard screaming.

“We went over and the house was in the middle of the road crushed. One of the kids was hurt and crying and they were all very shaken.

”We took them across to ours until the police arrived.

”When the first officer arrived he got wetter than he would in the flood when he fell into the Robinson’s pool.

“It was a moment of hilarity in a terrible situation. I was laughing hysterically at the poor man and gave him towels but he took it all in good humour.

Lynn said their neighbour had only just finished building his house @and now it’s gone. “

Another slip came down overnight in Welcome Bay, Tauranga on Welcome Bay Rd and is blocking the road.

The Tauranga City Council shared an update about the situation on Facebook overnight.

'We’re aware of an incident involving house damage on Egret Avenue in Maungatapu. Some residents of Egret Avenue have been evacuated and an area is cordoned off by Police. Our building inspectors will be onsite later this morning to evaluate the damage, and we will provide updates when we have more information.

'Our thoughts are with the community and affected residents on Egret Avenue. Residents should follow the advice of Bay of Plenty Civil Defence and the New Zealand Police, and keep up to date with the latest weather information on the MetService New Zealand website. Kia kaha everyone.'

Police said there was widespread flooding across the Bay of Plenty and roads have been heavily affected by slips.

“People in those areas should stay put and not attempt to travel on the roads.'

Anyone in the Bay of Plenty required to evacuate would be contacted directly by Civil Defence or emergency services staff.